


You Belong to Me

by FandomLifeTookMyHandAndSaidRUN



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst, Blow Jobs, Daryl has an interesting reaction to pain killers, Dirty Thoughts, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Family, Fingerfucking, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Masturbation, Mutual Masturbation, My First Fanfic, Sexual Content, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-18
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-03-18 11:46:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3568472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomLifeTookMyHandAndSaidRUN/pseuds/FandomLifeTookMyHandAndSaidRUN
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story takes place circa season 5-ish, after they have arrived and somewhat assimilated to Alexandria.  Daryl is injured on a run with Michonne, is tended to by Pete Anderson, with Carol providing the aftercare.  Conversations with Michonne and Carol prove to be revealing, especially under the effects of pain killers.  Daryl comes to a realization about feelings he never knew he had.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Midnight Conversations

“You ever been in love?” asked Michonne. She and Daryl were hunkered down for the night in an abandoned warehouse, having been overrun earlier in the day by walkers. It was too dark to try to make it back to the walls of Alexandria safely, so this was their refuge for the night.

“Kinda personal, don’t you think?” responded Daryl with a huff, as he laid out his bedroll. There was a small fire going in a metal bin for light. It cast long wavering shadows around them, the light giving their faces almost an ethereal golden glow.

“No. Besides, I’m not tired. I want to find out more about the mystery that is Daryl Dixon!” she replied, with a grin.

“Ain’t no mystery. For a woman, you got a brass pair. No offense or nothing.”

“None taken. So, answer my question. If you want, you can interrogate me later. Fair’s fair, right?”

Daryl just gave her a long look. Not quite sure where this was going, or what Michonne was thinking. She was almost always up to something, but she never meant any harm when it came to members of their group. She was good at teasing and ruffling feathers, but she was also a trusted person to talk to when one needed to just clear their head. Not that he had ever taken her up on that, but he knew others had and relied on her.

“Thought I was, once. Turned out Merle had just paid some chick so’s I could get laid. Didn’t want no pansy ass virgin for a brother apparently.” He sat up with his arms draped over his knees staring into the fire. “I was young and stupid, didn’t know nothing.”

“What happened when you found out?”

“Tried to beat the shit outta Merle. He got me in a choke hold until I passed out, left me unconscious in the yard. Broad said she was sorry, but I told her to get the hell away from me and never come back.” He grabbed a slightly rumpled cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a long drag.

“And no love since?”

“Well, no boyfriend girlfriend stuff, no. No time, no interest. Cain’t just trust anybody.”

“Oh Daryl…," Michonne just shook her head.  "Ok, but what about love. Regular love, like a good friend, best friend, family?”

“No. Ain’t nobody worth loving in my family. Us Dixons are all no good white trash. Maybe loved my mom, before she became a drunk. Maybe Merle too, cuz he was blood and did look out for me sometimes.  He was more of an obligation though, I suppose...”

“Extended family? Friends??”

“Geez lady, you’re digging.”

Michonne just eyed him sideways with a mischievous smile. “Dixon… I’m just trying to figure you out. What makes you tick. What makes you happy. You haven’t been yourself since Atlanta...”

“I ain’t discussing Atlanta, that’s final.” He interrupted throwing a glare in her direction.

She squinted her eyes right back at him. “I’m not your enemy. I’m your friend.”

Daryl just looked back at her, not quite comprehending her train of thought or what she was up to.

“You thinking of leaving us?” She asked, all matter of fact in tone.

“I don’t know, I sure as hell don’t need anybody to survive.” He was starting to get irritated with her questions.

“Doesn’t seem like you want to be here,” she moved to sit down across from him.

“That’s cuz I don’t.” He gave her a bit of a glare, and took another drag from his cigarette. Blew it out right across the fire at her.

“What about us? The people that need you?”

“Y’all would be just fine without me.” He ignored her now, looking deep into the fire hoping she’d get the hint and lay off. She was talking way too much for his comfort, he preferred silence and people leaving him alone.

“Now that’s a lie Daryl Dixon, and you know it. You are wanted, and you are needed. You know that we’re all your friends, right? We’re family now. We all love you, and care about you, and are here to support you in any way we can.  Just like you have supported US.” Her words were firm. She was not trying to anger him, but whatever it was she was up to wasn’t working out quite as she hoped. She just wanted to get through his cactus-like exterior, to that marshmallow fluffy goodness that she knew was tucked away somewhere deep inside him. To remind him that he’s not made of stone, and that he depends on the group as much as they depend on him. The group had been hit hard recently with several losses, being uprooted from a secure home, and violently accosted by not one, but two groups of crazed survivors.  It had been a very rough go of it lately, and no one was unscathed.

“Geezus, what is this? Some kinda psychotherapy session? I don’t need this!” He got up and stormed off across the floor to a window, looking out on the moonlit yard outside.

Michonne turned, her eyes following him. She changed her demeanor, and spoke with a gentler tone. “Let’s take a few steps back. Love. You know what that is, right?”

He looked back at her, annoyed and ready to end the conversation, but he knew she was relentless and wouldn’t stop until she made her point.

“Yah, I know what love is. It’s when someone gets deep inside you, and you care for them, and you do anything for them, even throw yourself into a fire just to save their sorry ass.” He had to stop himself there. His voice was getting louder, he was getting angry, and he didn’t want to draw the attention of any walkers nearby.

“Would you do that for anyone in our group?” she asked, gently prodding.

“Wouldn’t think twice ‘bout it.” He refused to look her in the face at this point, keeping his eyes locked on the view out the window.

“You know they would all do the same for you, right?” By now, she was standing just a few feet away from him, having quietly inched her way over.

Daryl just looked at Michonne like she was trying to explain quantum physics. He turned away back to the window. Daryl had never experienced a true sense of love in his adult life, let alone appreciation for his existence until the world had gone to shit. His good memories of his childhood and his momma were few and far between. He vaguely recalled one time when he was small, and sick with a stomach bug, that she sat by his bedside and ran his fingers through his hair singing soft songs lullabies to him. He had teachers in school that would give him sad eyes, and gentle hugs when he came to school limping or with a fresh set of bruises on his face and arms. And Merle, when he wasn’t locked away in juvie or prison, he was known to throw an arm over his shoulder from time to time when he saw the marks. Merle had no idea how bad things got while he was away. He hadn’t known until recently about the scars across Daryl's back. He only thought the old man smacked him around from time to time.  It was so much worse than that though.

But love? Daryl never had a use for it. It wasn’t until the Prison that he realized he was wanted or needed. And even then, he assumed it was just because he was able to provide a source of fresh meat with his hunting. But it was fine with him because the food he hunted and brought back was more than he could eat alone and he never wanted to see it go to waste. When Rick had lost Lori and was unable to function, Daryl had took it upon himself to go out and get formula for Lil Asskicker.  He could not stop the grin that had permeated his face when he held her in his arms that first time. Any time he thought about that night, the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile.

Michonne stood nearby, watching him. Watching the gears turning in his head, and the darkness in his eyes abated slightly. The hard lines in his face softened, and he looked up at the stars and then back at Michonne.

“What are you doing to me, woman?” he asked, almost puzzled.

“Who were you thinking about, just then. Don’t lie to me, I saw that thing called a ‘smile’ plastered on your face.”

He scoffed, shaking his head. Michonne sure did know how to get to him, but she wasn’t pushing him too hard.

“Just thinking of Lil Asskicker.”

Michonne chuckled, she always smiled when she thought of Judith too.

“You know it’s okay to ask for something if you need it, right?” She tilted her head, squinting her eyes at him a bit, still trying to deduce the mystery that is the Dixon family.

“Don’t need nothing lady” was his stern reply, he even gave her a raised eyebrow and a dirty look with that response.

“Daryl, that’s not what I meant. Need I remind you of Terminus, when we found Carol? What did you do when you first saw her.”

He shook his head, Michonne was just not giving it up tonight. “Gave her a hug.”

Michonne gave Daryl a look of exasperation. “Try again sweetheart, with detail.”

He huffed. “I went to her, and gave her a long ass hug.”

“You RAN to her, grabbed her up into the biggest bear hug I have ever seen. And you laid your head on her shoulder because you need it, and you need her. Now if that’s not ‘love’ then I don’t know what is.”

“Hey I ain’t…”

“Stop right there, I’m not saying a thing about being IN love, romantic love, that’s a different discussion for a different day. I’m just trying to prove to you, that people matter. You matter. Carol matters. Everyone in our group matters. We are all in this together, our strength is in each other and with each other. We need you as much as you need us. It’s Okay to lean on us, or ask for support. It doesn’t make you weak. That hug told me that Carol is pretty damn important to you, and I know for a fact you’re pretty damn important to her. And that smile on your face every time you think of Judith? THAT. All of that, my dear, is love. In case you didn’t know. “

She paused to let that sink in. Not taking her eyes off him. He gave her a few sidelong glances, and nodded.

She took a step forward placing a hand on his forearm, “Now imagine what your life would be like, right now, without all that.”

His eyes shot back to hers, he scoffed again and turned away. He didn’t want her to see his eyes just then. They burned, and it was a sensation that was new to him, and not exactly one he liked. The reaction was damn near instantaneous, and his eyes were moist. Life without the others? Without Carol? And Judith, and Carol? Rick? Everyone? Without this "family of his?

“I never said I was for sure, leaving.” He looked down at his feet toeing the threshold with his boot.

“But you act like you don’t want to be here. Like you don’t want anything to do with this place, with us.”

“I just don’t trust it. Something ain’t right here. Rick and Carol, they’re doing their undercover thing. Y’all got jobs, I ain’t got shit to do. Nobody NEEDS me to go hunting or on runs now cuz they’re all stocked up already.” He didn’t like the weakness he heard in his own voice. He hated not having a purpose even more.

“Ah, there was that word, ‘need.’”

“What of it?” He turned to face her, eyes burning into her. This little Dr. Michonne therapy session was really starting to get on his nerves. He wanted nothing more than to just turn on his heel and go, but there was no place to go to. He really was stuck inside this godforsaken building until the sun came up.

“You like being needed, don’t you?” she asked, head tilting to the side.

“Gives me something to do, keep busy.”  Daryl rubbed his eyes.  He was tired of this conversation, tired in general.  It had been such a long haul since Atlanta, and nobody had gotten legitimate rest since probably the Prison.  He was ready to lay down and pass out, be unconscious to the world around him.  If only it were that easy...

“And what would happen if heaven forbid you were alone with your own thoughts?”

“I’d get some damn sleep woman, that’s for sure!”

“Mmm-hmm. Alright alright, I’ll stop there for tonight. But let me tell you this.”

She paused to make sure he was listening. He had his arms crossed over his chest, and nodded, silently telling her to proceed.

“Stay. You’re our family. Families stick together through thick and thin. We want you, we need you, we love you. Now put your arms out.”

“What?”

“Just do it. Trust me.”

“Uh… ok.” He put his arms at his sides, somewhat away from his body. Feeling utterly ridiculous but hoping this would be the end of her tirade.

“Ok, now don’t move.”

He blinked, she moved forward putting her arms around his waist and resting her chin on his shoulder.

“What’s this?” he asked, still holding his arms out.

“This, Dixon, is called a hug.   Now put your arms around me.”

He complied, feeling utterly ridiculous. This was just too much Kumbaya for him. After a few moments Michonne released him. She looked up into his eyes, huge grin on her face, and said “Now the next time you see Carol, I want you to do that.”

“Pffft, shut up!” He turned and walked back to the dwindling fire. She joined him, but on the opposite side. They both lay down, staring up at the ceiling. It was quiet, just the subtle crackling of the fire and the sound of their breathing.

“Night Daryl, sweet dreams” whispered Michonne

“Night Michonne”, Daryl whispered back.


	2. Fly Higher Than an Eagle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl is injured on the way back to Alexandria.

Daylight. The sun was just starting to rise over the horizon. Daryl had already been up for hours, and Michonne began to stir. He was packed up and ready to head back to Alexandria, he was just waiting on her.

“Time to go?” she asked, eyes still heavy with sleep. He nodded, “Whenever you’re ready.”

It was a long walk back to the walls. Just as they cleared the woods and got back on the main road there, a group of about a dozen walkers began heading their way. Crossbow aimed at the ready, and the katana unsheathed, they ran forward to put down the threat. Michonne easily beheaded three walkers. Daryl got one with a bolt from his crossbow, took down three more with his knife and was reloading while Michonne wrangled some more. He had his crossbow up and prepared to take out the next walker heading his way, when he heard a scuffle from behind him. Michonne was working on taking out two walkers, they had stumbled over each other. She pulled back the sword, and thrust it forward through a falling walker’s eye. Unfortunately it went straight through the skull, and directly into Daryl’s backside.

He yelled, and went down on top of the walker he had just been preparing to take out.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” She hollered.

“God dammit woman, you got me IN THE ASS!” he screamed back.  He had just enough wits about him to take out the walker beneath him.

There were two walkers left, she easily took care of them and ran to Daryl.

“You’re bleeding bad!” she said, grabbing his red rag from his back pocket and pressing it to his stabbed butt cheek.

He grunted, and whipped himself around, groaning in pain. “Hey, that’s my ass! Don’t touch it!”

She snorted, and started giggling. “It’s not funny!” Daryl was laying somewhat on his side, half turned around trying to apply pressure to the sliced buttock. It hurt like hell, and his partner was kneeling next to him almost in tears from laughing so hard.  

“Daryl, I am so sorry! Here, let me help you up.” She swung his arm over her shoulder and helped lift him up. He gingerly took a step forward. “Ugh!” He grunted. This was not going to be a fun walk back. “We’re close, come one, let’s move before more walkers smell the blood.”

Together they hustled as best they could back to the wall. Glenn met them at the gate “Are you hurt? Oh geez, Daryl, I’ll go get Carol.”

“No! Nobody is telling Carol. Just get me back to the house and I’ll clean and stitch myself up.”

“What happened?” asked Glenn.

Michonne tried very hard to keep a straight face but was failing.   She burst out into a fit of giggles, and Glenn gave her a confused look. “I stabbed him in the ass with my katana. It was an accident, honest.”

“Well, who hasn’t wanted to stab Daryl at one point or another…” said Glenn. He suddenly realized he said that out loud, and not just in his head.

“I would so punch you right in the mouth, right now if I wasn’t bleeding to death right here!” Daryl was furious, but more distracted by the searing pain in his buttock.

“I am so sorry Daryl, I…” stammered Glenn.

“Shut it man, just get me home.”

“Sorry Daryl, this one had walker blood, we’re taking you to Pete instead.” Michonne dragged him off in the other direction, to the infirmary, while Glenn went to notify the others.

Daryl groaned, but agreed.

 

* * *

 

 

Daryl lay face down on the examining table, pants pulled half way down his thighs, bare ass hanging out. Pete had on special magnifying glasses and a mask, and was cleaning Daryl’s wound. Michonne stood in the corner trying her very best to keep the smile off her face, but this was too much. Daryl Dixon had the cutest whitest booty she had ever seen. He didn’t know it, but Glenn had already gone off to let Carol know he was okay, as well as everyone else in Alexandria.  It was too good a story to keep to himself.

Due to the depth of the stab wound, Pete had to give Daryl a heavy dose of narcotic pain killers so he could properly clean and stitch the wound without Daryl flinching. In other words, Daryl was high as a kite.

“’chonne, what ch’you laughing at?” he asked, barely lifting his head from the table.

She cleared her throat, “Not a thing Daryl, not a thing.” She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her giggles. Daryl was drooling, a long drip of saliva hanging from the side of his mouth.

Suddenly Carol burst in, “Daryl? Daryl?!? Oh my.  Um, what happened?” Her eyes grew wide at the sight of Daryl’s bare hind end hanging out, Pete’s coke-bottle glasses, and his face and hands being mere inches from Daryl’s butt. She tried to avert her eyes, trying to be polite and let Daryl keep some of his dignity, but it was like a train wreck.  She just couldn't look away. Between Pete’s doctor get-up, and Michonne’s shit eating grin, and the perfect double mounds of bare butt cheeks in her view, it was near impossible to keep a straight face.

“Carol? Babe, is that you?” asked Daryl, trying to lift his head from the table. He managed to turn his head enough to catch sight of her before his head fell back down.

“Oh woman, come ‘ere.” He raised a hand gesturing her to come around, closer to his face.

“I’m almost about done here,” said Pete. “He’s got a couple layers of stitches, he’ll need to rest for at least a few days, no strenuous activity. He should also try to get a few hours each day with the wound uncovered, air will help with the um… healing.”

Michonne and Carol shared a look and snickered. Daryl? Laid up for a few days, and doctor’s orders to have his cheeks hanging out? Oh this was priceless!

“Carol,” Daryl sputtered, grabbing her hand. “Let me see those baby blues o’ yours” he slurred.

“Yes, Daryl?” Carol got down so they were eye to eye. Daryl had a river of drool dripping from his mouth by now. Apparently Pete had to be a bit heavy handed with the pain meds so that Daryl would lay still.

“Did you ever know that you’re hero?”

“Um, what?” her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

Suddenly, Daryl burst out into the most tone deaf rendition of “The Wind Beneath My Wing.”

“You’re everything I wish I could beeeeeee….” He now had two hands gripping Carol’s hand, and was gazing deep into her eyes.

She looked at Michonne, who was beside herself. Tears streaming down her face from laughing so hard. “Oh this is too much!” and she excused herself from the room.

Daryl continued his tirade, slurred and garbled, and Carol just smiled.

“This should wear off in a few hours, might want to get him back and resting in his own bed soon,” said Pete, snapping off his rubber gloves. Daryl was stitched, and gauze pads were taped to injured buttock. “I already sent for Rick, he can help you get Daryl home.” With that Pete left the room.

“Care bear?” asked Daryl. Carol snickered, “Yes, pookie?”

“Babe, I love you...” Carol just smiled sweetly back at him “And I love you too snookums!”

Rick then rushed into the room, “Is he okay??” He asked.   Carol looked up and cheerily replied, “Ask him yourself!”

“Is that Rick?” asked Daryl. He couldn’t quite lift his head and turn enough to see Rick.

“Yes, Daryl, it’s me. You okay buddy?”

“Oh man, ‘chonne got me in the ass dude! Stabbed me through! One wrong move and she would taken out m’balls man! Or worse!”  Daryl's voice took on an almost shrill tone.

“I heard, I think you’re gonna be okay. Come on, let’s get ya back to the house.”  

“Wait a sec! I can’t feel my dick. Oh my god! Did she cut off my dick? She cut it off, didn’t she!” Daryl yelped as he tried to slide himself off the table, and as he got to his feet, his pants fell to his ankles and both Rick and Carol got an eye full.

“Oh! Oh my god!” Daryl looked down, grabbing his junk, and then back up at Rick and Carol. “Thank you Jesus, my dick’s been saved!” he declared.

“Daryl, honey…. You’re not decent, let’s get those pants up now.” Carol kept her eyes glued to the ceiling, this was not how she pictured seeing Daryl naked.  Not that she had pictured Daryl naked in her mind, but gosh this was awkward.

“What? Oh, like you ain’t ever seen a penis before.” With that, he gave his hips a little thrust sending his penis flailing. “Ow! Dammit, my ass hurts!”

“Aw geez, come one Daryl. Let’s get you situated and out of here” said Rick. They got Daryl’s pants up, and his belt buckled snuggly. No need for repeat performances. They both took him over a shoulder and helped him out of the infirmary.

As they walked Daryl slowly back to the house, Daryl just smiled. He looked at Rick, back at Carol, and again at Rick with the biggest grin on his face.

“Have I told you lately, that I love you?” he said, grinning at Rick.

Rick shot a WTF glance at Carol, she just winked at him and smiled. “He’s high as a kite” she mouthed. “No shit!” he shot back.

Daryl looked to Carol and sang “Have I told you there’s no one else above you….”

“Fill my heart with gladness, take away all my sadness, hmmm hmm hmn hmmmm hmm” He had his eyes closed humming along with the song, perma-grin on his face.

“That’s sweet Daryl, but people are watching. I think you’re scaring them” said Carol.

“Oh, let’s try something different then” he cleared his throat, and busted out singing louder.

“I can’t stop this feeling, deep inside of me….”  He started to move his head from side to side, as if attempting to dance a bit to the tune in his head.

“Daryl, shhhh!” Carol tried in earnest to shush him, while simultaneously smiling and waving to those that were in plain sight of Daryl’s drug induced mania.

“Girl, you just don’t realize, what you do to me!” Daryl was at top volume, head thrown back belting out the lyrics.

“Carol, I don’t think he cares…” muttered Rick, getting a bit annoyed with Daryl’s obnoxiousness.

“When you hold me in your arms so tight…” and with that Daryl fell silent.

“Oh thank goodness,” said Carol. They were at the house, both Carol and Rick took a hold of Daryl’s belt and hoisted him up the steps, into the house, and up to his room.

“When you hold me in your arms, so tight,” whispered Daryl, repeating the lyric. He was standing unassisted in his room now. His eyes were starting to droop, and he looked around blearily almost not recognizing where he was, wavering slightly on his feet.

“Daryl? Why don’t you lie down. I gotta get back to patrol, but Carol or somebody will be around to help you if you need it. Okay?” Rick was hesitant to leave Daryl in such an amusing state, but he had duties to attend to.

“Rick? Hug?” asked Daryl. He had his arms out and was gesturing wildly for Rick to come closer. Rick looked at Carol, and back at Daryl.

“Come on man, I’m just spreading the love!” Daryl’s grin was infectious, so Rick humored him and Daryl pulled him into a big bear hug. It was inappropriately long, and ended with a juicy kiss to Rick's cheek. “See you later Officer!” He even threw in a salute for good measure. Carol was sitting on the bed, just shaking her head as Rick walked out the door.

“Come on, time to lay down. Pete said you needed your rest, don’t want to rip your stitches.”

“Ok.” Said Daryl, but he didn’t move. Just stared blankly at the bed. “My ass hurts.” Without further adieu, he stripped off his shirt, unbuckled his pants, and stepped out of them when they fell to the floor.

Carol’s eyes shot to the ceiling, she was not prepared for Daryl to disrobe quite so quickly. “Um, Daryl? Your clothes?”

“I prefer to rest in the nude. Doc said it needed airing out, right?”

At this point he was getting wobbly, so Carol led him over to the bed with the intent of tucking him in and letting him sleep off the high. But before slipping between the sheets, he turned to her, took her face in his hands, and stared adoringly into her eyes. Softly, so softly, he began to sing “Wise men say… Only fools rush in….” He then put an arm around her, his hand on the small of her back. He took her other hand, and held it over his heart. He gently swayed her side to side, “But I can’t help…. Falling in love with you….”

“Oh Daryl, this isn’t you honey. Come one, lets get you into bed before this gets any more awkward.”

She lifted the sheets, he climbed in but in such a manner she got nearly a face full of the Dixon family jewels. She tucked him in, and was about to leave when she heard him whisper something.

“What was that?” she asked.

“Can… Can you just sit with me? Until I fall asleep?”

She smiled, and sat on the floor next to the bed. He held out his hand to hold hers, and she took it. He closed his eyes, but she could tell by his breathing that he wasn’t about to fall asleep just yet.

“Talked with Michonne last night,” he said, with his eyes closed. “She asked if I had ever been in love, if I even knew what love is.”

Carol just hummed, not quite sure how to respond.

“I get it now. Never had love before, like real family or otherwise. Y’all… you’re my family now, right?” he asked.

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, “After everything you’ve done, after everything we have all been through, together? Of course, we’re family Daryl. Don’t ever doubt it.”

“Hmm” he responded. “M’kay, guess you’re stuck with me then.” And with that he rolled over and drifted to sleep. He was snoring before Carol left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to say, I really really REALLY got a kick out of writing this chapter. What's next? A sweet Caryl moment, coming soon!


	3. Pinky Swear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a cute Caryl moment, but conversation does take a dark turn. Suicide is mentioned.

 

“Ow… ow… ow…. God dammit… ow… ow…”

Carol bolted out of bed at the sound. It was dark, the house was silent and everyone was asleep, except for her and whomever was behind those strained whispers. She stepped out into the hall, and there was Daryl in his ripped jeans, no belt, and a shirt thrown on but not buttoned.

“Daryl? What are you doing? It’s the middle of the night, you’re supposed to be resting!” she hissed at him.

“Meds wore off. Need water. And my dignity back, apparently,” he said over his shoulder. Carol tried hard not to giggle, she couldn’t hide her smile as she walked up to him, putting herself under his arm to help him down the stairs.

“Oh hush! Your dignity is intact. Who knew you were such an entertainer?!” she said, helping him to descend the stairs. Once they were in the kitchen, he managed to rest one butt cheek on a bar stool by the counter.

“Hungry? You slept through dinner, what can I get you?” she asked.

He couldn’t even look her in the face, eyes hiding behind the fringe of hair at his forehead. She could see his cheeks glowing pink. He really was mortified by his drug induced tirade earlier that evening.

“Hey, listen…” she said. He cast his eyes up to her. “It’s me. I’ve seen you at your best, I’ve seen you at your worst. We take care of each other. We laugh together… and sometimes we laugh AT each other too, but do you get what I mean?” she asked.

He nodded. “Besides, who knew you were a karaoke junkie?? Seriously, I loved seeing that side of you.” She tossed a flirty smile his way, he just rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Here, let me get you some leftovers.”

“So tell me… The singing?” She really was curious. Daryl was a man of few words, and when he did speak, it was with purpose. Singing was entirely out of character for him from what little she knew..

Daryl groaned and threw his head down on his crossed arms on the table.

“Oh stop it. I’m just curious. I didn’t take you for the type to listen to music let alone sing.” She really was just asking honest questions. Despite all their time together, since the quarry, there was still a lot about Daryl that she did not know.

“You’re right, I’m not. I mean, I like music, but that…. was not me. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, with the… and the… well….” He gestured to himself, hands flailed a bit, he knew he was awkward and embarrassing in public. And the nudity, there was just no explaining that other than offering his truly embarrassed apology.

“It was weird, but nothing I haven’t dealt with before. Shenanigans and stuff. Ed and all….” She waved her hand as if to brush off the memory from her mind.

“I’m really sorry.” He picked at the plate she put before him. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits… He was hungry, but the thought that he had reminded her of Ed sickened him.

“Daryl, really… it’s fine. That part of my life is over, long gone. Ashes blown away in the wind.”

He just shook his head and pushed the plate away. Carol walked over and sat next to him.

“Eat! If you won’t, I will. Tell me what kind of music you like to listen to.” She was making an effort to change the subject off of Ed, and back onto something less depressing.

With a side long glance at Carol, he picked up his fork. “I dunno. I listen to anything. Not picky. Merle… he’d drag me out to the bars with him sometimes. And when he was high, he’d grab a girl and jump on stage to do karaoke. He was awful, I’m sure I’m worse, but he just got such a kick out of it. When it wasn’t karaoke, he’d drag me to bars where there was a band or a jukebox going. He was big into music, I just listened.”

“Ever the hunter, always listening and observing, hmm?” said Carol. Daryl nodded. He was eating now, they sat in their usual comfortable silence. When he was done, she took his plate. “Hey, I can do that muhself.”   
“It’s okay pookie, don’t want you straining yourself, you need to rest your hiney,” she gave him a wink and a devilish grin.

“Pffft, STOP.”

 

* * *

 

 

The sun was rising, dawn of a new day. Rick made his way down the stairs in uniform. Daryl was half sitting, half laying on his side trying to read a book. Stuck on the same page for more than several minutes, not really reading it. Bored out of his mind, and grumpy that he would be stuck doing nothing all day.

“G’morning, Daryl!” Rick said cheerily, a smile escaping onto his face.

Daryl grunted in response, not looking up, pretending to be engrossed in his book.

“I’m off to work. Can I get a goodbye hug and a kiss before I go?” he teased.

Daryl chucked his book at Rick, narrowly missing his face.

“Shut up,” Was his response.

“Hey now, I’m just teasing ya.”

Daryl didn’t respond, just stared blankly out the window. Rick knew better than to test Daryl’s mood further. While Daryl may have enjoyed the confines of a home at night, for security and rest, during the day he needed to be outside actively doing something, even if it was just cleaning and tuning up his crossbow, or making more bolts for it.

“Listen, if you get bored and are feeling up to it, you can play sniper in the clock tower later this afternoon. You’ll need someone to help you up the stairs though.”

“Count me in!”

Rick nodded, smiled at Daryl and shook his head as he headed out the door. Daryl groaned and threw his head back into the chair. It was going to be a long wait for the afternoon to arrive.

 

* * *

 

 

Carol came home just after lunch, and fixed Daryl a plate. He was terribly grumpy and out of his mind with boredom. There was nothing worse than being stuck inside with an injury, and not being allowed free range of movement. They ate together in silence, and Carol cleared the plates again when they were done. She ignored Daryl’s grumpy huff at not being allowed to clear his plate himself.

“You got sniper duty this afternoon?” she asked him.

He nodded. “Rick is making me take a partner. Wanna come with?” he asked.

“Sure, give me a minute to change and we can head out.”

Carol was back downstairs within minutes, out of her matronly housewife “costume”, and back into her “Carol” clothes that he much preferred her in. She placed two little pills in front of him and handed him a glass of water.   
“Oh no, no no no no no, woman you are not getting me high! We do NOT need a repeat performance!” he pushed them away.

Carol rolled her eyes. “Daryl, I actually have sniper duty this afternoon, not you. Rick is having me just bringing you along to keep me company and get you out of the house. Your rear is going to be sore from the walk over and up all those stairs. Take these, I promise they will help. And it’s nowhere near as much as Pete gave you yesterday.”

Daryl pressed his lips together tight, “Mm-mm” and shook his head.

“Be a good boy and take your pills, or I’ll put you over my knee!”

Before he even realized what he was doing, he replied “Promise?” with a grin, and his cheeks flushed pink.

She glared at him, and he obediently swallowed down the painkillers. He had not taken anything since he got back from the infirmary the previous evening, and his hind end was feeling quite uncomfortable. Relief would be welcomed.

Carol put herself under his arm again, much to his chagrin and they began a slow steady walk to the gate. Olivia was there waiting with rifles and ammunition. Carol had packed a bag with food and whatnot in case they were stuck overnight. Heaven forbid they encounter a herd of walkers, they could be stuck for days with no food or water and unable to get back within the walls. Best to be prepared.

Once up in the tower, Daryl closed his eyes and took some deep breaths. Being beyond the walls was freeing to him. Feeling the sun on his face, the wind in his hair, out in nature was where he preferred to be. Carol stood at his side looking out over the landscape.   He was happy that he was there with her, and not in the company of Michonne. She would have spent the time chastising him for his medically induced high the previous day, and the ensuing entertainment he provided all of Alexandria with.

“What’s your favorite song?” asked Carol, she kept her eyes out the window.

“Don’t have one really.” He responded.

“Oh come on, there’s gotta be one that you can never get out of your head.”

He was quiet, she knew he was thinking. Or he was just ignoring her, she didn’t think it was the latter though.

“Promise not to tell?” he asked, quietly. He was starting to feel the effects of the pain killers. They were making him feel delightfully woozy, which helped the words to flow more freely.

She had turned to him, and nodded. “My mom… back before she became a drunk. She’d play Patsy Cline records. This one time, I was home sick from school and she was sober. My dad was off on another bender somewhere, and she was able to just be… normal, I guess. Not that I know what normal is. I lay on the couch, my head in her lap, and she ran her fingers through my hair. She’d sing along sometimes, my favorite was ‘You Belong to Me.’”

“Hmmm,” Carol hummed. “That’s a great song. Your mom had great taste.”

He nodded, avoiding Carol’s eyes. He didn’t like talking about his mom. It wasn’t so much that the memories of his childhood were awful, even though most memories truly were, but that the very few memories of his mom that he did have were the only happy memories from his childhood. Seeing Rick with Carol and Judith, even Carol with Sophia and later Mika and Lizzie, it was a reminder of the love and affection that he was denied as a child. He didn’t realize how much that hurt him until he had a family, though not related by blood, that did love and appreciate him.

“Just so happens it’s my favorite song too.” Carol was smiling at him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and stood close to him, looking out the same window. “Hey, come here… come on, turn to me.” Daryl complied. Carol took his hand, placed it on the small of her back, and took his other hand, and held it in hers over his heart. She gazed up at him, question on her face asking if he was okay with this. He nodded again, that whatever it was that she was doing was not crossing any personal boundaries with him. She could see the unsure look on his face, but he wasn’t pulling away, so she went with it.

Gently, she lead, just rocking back and forth. Not much, as to not hurt his injured rear. She pressed her cheek to his shoulder, then softly, so softly, he heard her sing,

“See the pyramids along the Nile….. Watch the sunrise from a tropic isle…. Just remember darling all the while….” And she paused, leaning back slightly looking into his eyes and gave him a quick nod of her head. His voice, barely a whisper joined hers, “You belong to me.”

There was a small distant smile on his face, one that would probably not be detected by just anyone, as Daryl’s smiles were rare. But Carol could see it by the slight upturn of his lips, and the way his eyes almost twinkled. Subtle, but she knew it was there. “See the market place in old Algier, Send me photographs and souvenirs, just remember when a dream appears…”

And again, softly, but together, they sang “You belong to me….”

Daryl pulled Carol in closer, and held her tight in his arms, one hand at the back of her neck. She tucked her head into is neck, and hummed along the rest of the song, swaying with him gently back and forth. She could feel his breath hitch in his throat, and then he drew a wavering deep breath. She squeezed him a little tighter and sang the last line of their song “Just remember, till you’re home again, you belong to me…..”

She pulled back again to look him in the face, he avoided her eyes but gave her a small smile and a tear spilled down his cheek. She reached up to wipe it away. “Dammit woman, the drugs…. you done made me soft or something,” he sniffled.

She ignored the comment and gazed into his eyes. “I need you to know something. You’re with us now. Always. We are your home. This place hasn’t been an easy adjustment for you, I know that. But just remember, WE loved you first. We are your home.”

He nodded, and said “thank you.” Carol had known that Daryl was not at all at ease within Alexandria. And she wasn’t the only one. There had been more than a few conversations about Daryl where concern was expressed that he might leave. They couldn’t lose him. He wasn’t just an able bodied hunter and asset to their group, he was family, plain and simple.

“Anytime,” she whispered back. She pulled him in for a quick squeeze, and released him keeping a hand on his arm.

She let him be after that. Left him to his thoughts. The firm hard lines were back on his face, and he had his eyes on the landscape. His hands would fidget, every now and then. He looked down at his hands, picked at his cuticles. And then his hand was at his mouth, chewing on the side of his thumb as he often did when the gears were turning in his mind. Words were imminent, but he seemed to be struggling with what to say.

“You have happy memories, right?” she asked.

He nodded.

“That’s what you hold on to. Grip them tight. Let all the bad memories go. That life, it’s over now. Remember what I said? About different versions of me being burnt away? I think it’s like that for everyone. You really are not the same man you were back at the quarry, or even before that. You’re not the same man that you were at the Farm. You’re not the same man you were at the Prison. And since Atlanta…. Well, that changed you the most. And I understand why.”

She paused. He was leaning against the window trim, arms crossed over his chest. He was listening intently, glancing back and forth between her and the landscape. Keeping watch while she had her say. Some of what she was saying was repetitive, but he needed to hear it. She had been through a horrific ordeal at The Grove, with Tyreese and the girls. And Daryl suffered a tremendous blow with losing Merle, with not being able to save Beth, and the subsequent loss of Tyreese. He had truly felt that people, good people especially, could no longer be saved. He back pedaled into a serious depression, the likes of which he had experienced decades.

“But… really, don’t let what happened consume you. You still have us. And I’d like to think that we’re a step up from what you had going before everything went to hell. You told me that Beth said you were made for this, right?”

He shifted on his feet at the mention of Beth, but nodded in agreement.

“I agree with her. You were made for this. To hunt, to fight, to provide. That doesn’t discount who or what you were before, but this… now? Daryl, you can do great things. You’re an asset to Alexandria, and you’ve been an asset to our group since day one. Even with all that we’ve suffered, there’s been good memories. I want you to hold onto those. There’s a darkness about you, always has been, but it’s been a black hole lately. Please, don’t get sucked down into it. Stay here, with us, with me.”

Daryl gave her a shy smile, and nodded again. He brushed the hair off his face, placed his hand on his hip, staring back down at his feet and toeing the ground.

“I’m trying,” he said. “But what about you?”

“Me?” she questioned.

“Mmm. Can you do that too? Hold onto the good memories and let go of the bad? With the girls…” he asked. The pills were making him more chatty and forthcoming. He had the false bravery to ask questions he hadn’t dared ask before. Events that took place at The Grove and with Mika and Lizzie had essentially been placed “off limits” as far as Carol was concerned.

Carol closed her eyes and there was a pained expression on her face. She still hadn’t told him what happened at The Grove, she knew that’s what he was referring to.

“Things happen, and it becomes ingrained in who we are. I don’t think you’ll ever be able to forget, like you want. Those girls, they live inside you now. In your heart. I can’t forget certain things, but I’ve learned to live with it. And holding onto those good memories, like you said… that helps to overcome the bad. We’re not so different, you and I. Sometimes the other person just needs to repeat the same words back to your face ‘fore it makes sense. That made no sense, or did it? Um…,” he was feeling fuzzy now that the pain medication and fully kicked in. His thoughts becoming less coherent.

She remained quiet, and let him have his say.

“You told me I needed to feel it, right?” he asked. She nodded.

“Well, I did. I’m going to sound like a woman right now, but sometimes you just gotta get in touch with your own feelings. Cry it out if you need to. Scream, yell, kick something. If I hadn’t done what you said, I’d have gone off on a hunting trip, and I never woulda came back. Its poison, keeping it all in like that. I’m tired of losing people, I am. Heaven forbid anything ever happened to you, Rick’s family…. I…… I’d be gone.”

Carol tried not to show it but she was quite surprised by Daryl’s admission.

“Suicide?” she asked.

He nodded. “Mmm-hmm, ain’t like it was the first time I considered it neither. First time since the turn though. Figured once y’all were safe here, I could go… be free.”

Carol’s eyes teared up. This conversation had taken a very dark and unexpected turn. That Daryl was so open and honest about it struck her to her core.

“Do you still feel that way?” she asked.

“Taking it moment by moment, day by day. But YOU, you were right. I let go of the poison, it made things a bit more tolerable, and that’s why I’m still here. And I’m trying, I am.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. She had her own dark thoughts, after that day at the farm when Sophia walked out of the barn, a walker. She didn’t know how she could go on, but somehow she managed to. They all had jobs to do, within the group, and that became her main focus at the time. With time, the emotional wounds didn’t necessarily heal, but they became manageable.

“Daryl, I don’t even know where to start. I don’t even know if I can speak the words,” she murmured. Her voice quiet, yet strained.

“You don’t have to. But if you ever want to, need to… Just come find me. And if things ever get too dark….”

He took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

“Thank you. I’m not strong enough, for that.”

He pulled her into a hug, and gave a relieved sigh. When he released her, she held out her pinky.

“Let’s make a promise. If things get too… dark. We’ll seek out the light, in each other. I’ll respect your wishes, if you respect mine; we won’t let ourselves be consumed. Pinky swear, Mm’kay?” Her face was passive, but her words still resonated with him.

He hooked his pinky in hers, effectively sealing the deal. He placed an arm around her back, she put her arm around his waist and put her head on his shoulder. Seeking gentle comfort in one another, it was a relief to know that they had each others backs. They always had, but this just reaffirmed it. Together, they stood at the window looking out over the landscape. It was still quiet, apart from the birds singing and the gentle breeze. No walkers in sight. They just enjoyed the peace and quiet, and each others company.

“Now how about we check your bandage and air out that sweet cheek of yours?” Carol said, looking up at him with a wink and a grin. Daryl rolled his eyes and huffed. “Oh, woman….”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things will lighten up quite a bit next chapter. I do enjoy the friendship that Daryl and Michonne have, so I may play that up a bit in future chapters.   
> I'm also working on several different variations of "closure" for Carol, for the events that took place at The Grove. TWD hasn't addressed it, and with two episodes left there's been fear that it won't happen. I don't know about you, but I need closure. So that is what's to come over the next several chapters. Hope you've enjoyed the ride so far! :)


	4. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol talks about the events that occurred at The Grove.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life got a little busy, once again didn't get this chapter out as quickly as I would have liked.  
> This chapter may tug at the heart strings a bit. But there's some fluff and humor too. And awkward Daryl. Who doesn't love Awkward Daryl? :D

 

 

“Daryl, stop being such a baby and hold still!”

“Then stop poking it, still hurts like a sumbitch ya know!”

“Do you want this to heal right? It needs to be cleaned so you don’t get an infection.

“Ugh! Just hurry up already!”

Daryl was bent leaning into the window casing. His belt loosened, and his pants pulled down just below the wound on his buttock. Per doctor’s orders, they were letting the wound breathe and Carol assigned herself nursing duty. They were still in the tower on sniper duty with several hours to go before shift change. Unfortunately Daryl’s pain killers had worn off and he was back to his ornery self. But it was as good a time as any to change the bandage, private, with little chance for interruption.

After cleaning the wound, Carol set aside a bandage and let the wound air dry while she packed up the first aid kit and returned it to the bag. Daryl remained in position bent over, just shaking his head thinking he’d never get his dignity back again. Carol couldn’t resist, seeing both his white ass cheeks hanging out was too much, she gave the uninjured one a playful gentle smack.

“Hey, OWWWW!” The smack had surprised him, he jumped, making his other cheek sting from the movement.

“Sorry, Pookie!” Carol gave him a mischievous grin. “That’s what you get for publicly embarrassing the lot of us yesterday.”

He just shook his head, and growled. “Ain’t ever gonna live that one down, now am I?”

Carol just laughed, offered him a water bottle and a snack. They ate in silence.

Suddenly there was a noise behind them, then a shrill “Oh, my eyes! I’ve been blinded!”

Daryl shot straight up, hustling to get his pants back up and buckled. Carol whirled around, and burst into giggles. Michonne had shown up early for her shift.

“Dixon, I already got that view yesterday. You trying to show off or something?”she asked, with a grin on her face.

He just growled and leaned against the wall to ease the pain in his offended cheek.

  
“Thought I’d do ya a favor and relieve you a little early so you could go home and rest your sweet cheeks.”

Daryl grabbed his gear, shooting Michonne a dirty look.

“I won’t forget this, you know. Crossbows sometimes go off unexpected at times. Best watch your ass….” he was joking, of course, but not amused by her ribbing.

“Hmmm, but I’d much rather watch yours.” Wink, wink!

Carol helped Daryl back down the stairs, and they gingerly made their way back over to the gate. The sun was starting to go down, leaving them with a fantastic sunset before their eyes. Deep pinks and orange, a true thing of beauty.They slowed their steps drastically once inside the gate, enjoying the view of the setting sun within the safety of the walls.

“This is kind of romantic, wanna screw around?” she teased.

“Quite the jokester now ain’tya, just get my ass home already” he grumbled, and gave her shoulder a squeeze.

 

* * *

 

Heavy breathing. Carol awoke to the sound of heavy breaths in the hallway. Maggie and Glenn were not living in the same house as them, so she knew what she was hearing was probably G-rated. She stepped out into the hall, and there was Daryl gingerly walking down the hall huffing with each step. When he heard her behind him, he stopped.

He was in only his boxers and a t-shirt.

“Sorry. Thought I could sneak downstairs and grab a drink without bothering anybody.”

Carol put herself under his arm and helped him down the stairs. “Don’t push yourself, you should have just come and gotten me, I could have brought you some water. You got a few layers of stitches, takes time to heal.”

“Ain’t got no patience, you know that.”

She hummed in agreement, and got him settled on the couch. She disappeared into the kitchen, and came back with two bottles in hand, they clinked as she set them down and removed the caps. “Did you know they make their own beer here?” she asked, handing him one.

“I do now,” he took a sip, “mmm, not bad. Not what I was expecting, but who am I to argue.”

She smiled back at him.

“Hey, go on back to bed if you’re tired, I didn’t mean to wake ya.”

“Mmm, no.” she sighed. She’d only been dozing when she heard Daryl in the hall. Sleep had been fitful, and fleeting to her even after getting comfortable within the confines of Alexandria. She was able to hide the dark circles under her eyes with her infectious smiles while working “under cover.” Dark circles were commonplace with their group given the stresses they had endured of late, so they mostly went unnoticed.

“Not sleeping?” he asked. She shook her head.

“Gets busy up there at night,” she gestured to her head.

He nodded, taking a long draught from his beer. She took a sip of hers, placed the bottle on the end table. She heard Judith stir upstairs, and then Rick’s footsteps across the floor going to her to soothe her. Daryl was only partly decent, so she grabbed a throw blanket and put over him, just in case. She sat down on the arm chair and wrapped her robe around herself snuggly.

“Do you think this place will work out? For the kids?” asked Daryl. He sat with his beer bottle in his lap, staring at it thoughtfully. “Or are we too far gone to fit in here?”

“Well, I know you’ve struggled with adjusting…”

“I’m trying. I swear it. But I ain’t talking ‘bout just me. Carl and Judith, they need this place.”

“Rick seems confident that we can make this work. We WILL make it work.” She took a long sip from her bottle, absentmindedly fiddling with the cap.

“Kids deserve it. Need time to be a kid. Still learn what needs to be learnt in order to survive out there, but… they deserve to just be kids too.”

“I agree.”

“Wouldn’t be no sweat off my ass if I got tossed out tomorrow. I’d live beyond these walls just fine if it came down to it. Prefer it out there anyhow.”

“I know you do. Are these runs with Aaron, are they enough?”

She was afraid of what his answer might be. There was a time she had contemplated leaving the group, and it wasn’t an entirely difficult decision to make at that time. Daryl, being the free spirit that he was, he’d have no problem just leaving. But she hoped the relationships and connections that he had made within their group thus far would at least make him think twice about it.

“What I need, it don’t matter. It’s the kids. And Rick.And you. Y’all need this. Just want them kids to have a better life ‘an I had. And they do, but…”

“You worry. And that’s because you’re a good man, Daryl.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. He just shrugged, unwilling or unable to accept praise.

“You’re pretty darn good yourself too, ya know.” He stretched out on his side a bit more, taking the pressure off his injured rear. It was starting to feel a little better, thanks to the beer, but he didn’t want to stress the stitches too much.

Carol just hummed to herself. “I wish the girls had made it this far.”

Daryl just looked at her out of the corner of his eye. Carol never just brought the girls up on her own. She’d wanted to forget. Maybe the beer was making her soft, or brave. He didn’t know.

“They’d be able to go to school. And run and play, and not have to have knives in their belt or worry about walkers.”

He peered up at Carol. She was staring blankly toward the doorway, eyes misting with tears. She took another long sip from the bottle, and pressed it to her cheek as if to distract herself from the tears.

“Walkers. It was so much worse than that.”

Could this be it? Was she going to share what happened?

“Lizzie, she didn’t get what walkers were. She thought they were people. She thought they could be her friend.”

Daryl sat frozen in place, not afraid to move, but just afraid of distracting her. She’d pushed him to feel his losses and process his emotions, to just let it go. She insisted she couldn’t, she wouldn’t, feel hers but he knew how badly it was affecting her having it bottled up inside.

"Hey, you  don't have to do this..."

"I thought about what you said,  I  did. And... I think telling this, it might help."

Daryl nodded, "mm-k ay."

“Uh, Tyreese and I, we went to get water from the well while the girls played outside. There was a fence, they were safe. It was only a few minutes that we were gone.”

A tear spilled over, and dripped down Carol’s cheek. She still stared blankly toward the door, as if the girls would be walking through it. Knowing full well they never would.

“Lizzie. She used her knife on her sister. Wanted to make her a walker….”

Carol’s voice cracked, and she raised a hand to her lips stifling back a sob. Her chin was wavering, and her face turned up with the pain of reliving the memories. She put the beer bottle down, and wiped her eyes, trying to regain her strength.

“She really didn’t understand. She was going to turn Judith too. If we hadn’t gotten there when we did...”

The tears were flowing freely now. Carol’s voice was thick with emotion. She took a few deep breaths, and continued.

“She pulled her gun. She hadn’t hurt Mika’s brain, and she wanted to make sure we didn’t hurt it either. She pulled her gun, on me! So… I lied to her, sent her into the house with Tyreese for lunch and said we’d wait for Mika to turn.”

Carol was softly sobbing now between her words.

“Tyreese and I, we tried to come up with a plan. Something to help her, to help Lizzie. But what could we do? What could we do?”

She broke eye contact with the door and looked to Daryl with imploring eyes.

“There was no way to make it work and for us all to survive.”

Daryl’s heart was breaking watching Carol fall to pieces before him. He reached out and took on of her hands in his, wrapping both hands around it, trying to pass some strength to her.

“I had confessed to Tyreese, about Karen and David. He knew what I was capable of, what I am capable of doing. There was only one way to… to ‘fix’ the situation.”

Daryl was squeezing and rubbing Carol’s hands. She was sniffling between soft sobs; she ran her free hand across her eyes trying to dry her face.

“So I… took my revolver. And I took Lizzie outside. She was upset, afraid that she had made me angry. I…. I told her to just look at the flowers. That’s what would calm her when she was upset. I told her to ‘look at the flowers’…..”

She was now crying hard, her words barely intelligible.

“I pulled the trigger, she fell to the ground and she was gone.”

Carol hung her head and just sobbed. Daryl tugged her hand, pulling her over to him, he sat her on the couch next to him and pulled her into his arms. He held her tight as she sobbed against his chest, her hands fisted in his shirt. He rocked her back and forth shushing in her ear. And when her breaths began coming easier again, she continued.

“Mika and Lizzie, we buried them together, and then we left. We couldn’t stay there. Not after that.”

Daryl kissed Carol on the head, and continued rocking her back and forth. Her grip on his shirt loosened, she reached for her beer bottle and finished it off. Daryl took the edge of the throw blanket, and wiped the tears from her eyes. He tucked her head back under his chin, her ear to his chest. She sat listening to his strong and steady heartbeat, which helped to calm her.

“I can never repeat this story. Please don’t ever ask me to.”

“Never, I promise.”

That sat together in the quiet, his arms remaining snug around her.

“This is why we need to make this place work. So you don’t have to be in that kind of position ever again.”

He kissed her head again, and felt her nod. He released an arm to finish off his beer bottle. He felt her breathing start to slow, and soon he heard what sounded like soft snores. She had fallen asleep in his arms. He knew sleep did not come easy for her, so he ignored the soreness of his backside and kept still. He leaned his head back against the couch, and soon felt himself drifting off.

 

* * *

 

 

It was nearly sunrise when he awoke. Carol was in his arms still, the blanket thrown over the top of them. Rick had ventured down into the kitchen for Judith’s bottle, and when Rick noticed that Daryl was awake, he offered a tiny wave. He just nodded back. His rear had gone numb, and he was pretty sure if he tried to stand he’d fall right back down as one of his legs was now numb too. At some point, he had sat with his leg down the couch, and foot on the floor. Carol was seated between his knees and tucked up against his chest. There was no way for him to move and get up without waking her.

"Everything okay?" Rick mouthed at Daryl, a look if genuine concern  on his face. He could see that Carol's eyes were puffy, and there were tracks of tears on her face.

Daryl  shrugged a shoulder, "will be, someday," he mouthed back.

"The girls?" he  whispered.

Daryl  just nodded, and held a finger to  his lips.

"Not walkers?"

Daryl shook his head.  Rick knew  walkers  hadn't gotten the girls, he also knew that  whatever  happened must have been much much  worse. Daryl just  confirmed it. He hung his head, closing his  eyes and  pinching  the top of his nose as he often did when feeling upset or  distressed. Rick had a  conversation with Tyreese after Terminus,  and from it he had  gathered that  something terrible  had happened. Tyreese had told him he  wasn't ready to discuss it, just that he needed to  forget. Same as Carol.

Rick collected himself  and went  back upstairs tend to Judith. Daryl sat  holding Carol in his arms, watching the sky outside the win dows slowly brightening. The birds were chirping their morning songs, and inside the  house he  could here people  quietly rising and getting their day started. Not wanting to put Carol in an  awkward position, he knew he  would  need to  wake her before  people  came downstairs and saw them. The last thing they needed was a rumor mill getting started.

He put a hand on her arm, and rubbed it gently. "Carol, it's morning."

She roused slowly, eyes blinking, face confused. "Oh, Daryl. I'm sorry..." She sat up, and rubbed her faced in her hands. Still blinking eyes half asleep. "I didn't realize I fell asleep on you."

"No problem, didn't want to wake you but folks are starting to get up."

"Mmm. Awkward. Ok. Need help getting back up the stairs?"

"Never, but maybe a boost off the couch, I can't feel my ass." 

Carol stifled a small giggle, and Daryl attempted to swing his leg off the couch and push himself to the end of the seat. She took his arm over her shoulder and together they got him to standing.

"Oh, that's gonna hurt today," he groaned as they walked to the stairs. Carol helped him up and into his room before the others started to venture down. She stopped in his doorway on her way out and whispered over her shoulder, "Last night? Thank you for that. I meant what I said, I can't discuss it again. And please, don't tell the others." She shut the door behind her.

 

* * *

Daryl was able to get himself dressed and back downstairs unassisted. Rick greeted him with a cup of hot black coffee and some pain medication placed before him where he sat at the table. Daryl sat holding the mug in his hands just staring into it blankly watching the steam rise.

He could feel Rick's eyes on him, questioning. "I promised her I wouldn't tell her story, it's not mine to tell  anyway."

"I can respect that."

"She saved Judith's life. That's all I can tell you. You owe her, everything."

"She saved us at Terminus, and when I realized it was her, and that Judith was safe, I...." his voice grew thick, and he paused unable to speak the words. He knew banishing her from the prison was a mistake, yet this tiny selfless and amazing woman had managed to not only save them all from their deaths at Terminus, but saved his daughter as well. He truly did owe her everything, and wished there were a way to make it up to her somehow, someday.

"She's not right, not right now. But she will be. She's gotta be."

Moments later, Carol descended the stairs. Rick couldn't stop himself from walking over to her, and wrapping his arms around her tightly. "Oh, good morning Rick!" she stammered.

"I just wanted to thank you again, for everything. I... I saw you with Daryl on the couch this morning. He did not break your confidence, but I know if it weren't for you, my family would be a lot smaller right now. Thank you, for saving them." He held her a moment longer before releasing her. She wiped at a tear that escaped her eye, and sniffled looking down at her feet.  

"We do what we need to survive, right?" she asked, peering up at him with her wet blue eyes.

"We do." He smiled down at her, and handed her a mug of coffee. "Who's got tower duty this morning?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I'm up," said Daryl. "Gotta head out and relieve Michonne in a few."

"Uh-uh, I have sniper duty, you're just my backup," smiled Carol at Daryl. "You're still technically medicated and should not be operating high powered weaponry."

Daryl just glared at her, "I'll show you high powered weaponry." And he stood up, wincing, grabbed his crossbow and headed out the door with both Rick and Carol grinning after him.

"And I get to play nurse to Mr Grouchy too, what fun!" she smiled back at Rick, grabbed her pack and left to catch up with Daryl.

 

* * *

 

"Okay Mister, drop your pants and assume the position."

"Excuse me?"

"Your bandage, Daryl? Needs changing. Or would you rather do it yourself."

Daryl groaned, turning away from Carol and unbuckling his belt.

"Do you have any idea how humiliating this is?" he said, as he let his pants fall down just below his injured rear.

"I'm sure if you asked nicely, Rick or even Michonne would be more than happy to help you," she teased.

"Good Lord, woman. Are you nuts? Bad 'nough that Michonne has seen my ass."

"Oh come one, it's a cute little ass. Got nothing to be ashamed of!"

"Pfft, stop."

Daryl continued keeping watching while Carol expertly changed his bandage.

"You should be fine with just a big bandaid from hear on out. Just leave it off at night, so it can breathe." She patted his bare bum, which resulted in him letting out a surprised grunt as he flinched.

"Geez, woman. Your bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired."

"Oh, does Pookie need a lollipop for being such a good patient?" she teased. She packed up the first aid kit, and joined him at the window. He gave her a sidelong glance and just shook his head and smiled that minuscule Dixon smile. She put an arm through his, hand on his bicep, and gave him a squeeze.

They lapsed into their usual comfortable silence. Daryl watched Carol from the corner of his eye, he noticed the dark circles under her eyes were not as dark. She also had a slight smile on her face. This was a new development, he hadn't seen this since their time at the prison. She caught him looking and did a sort of double take.

"What?" she asked, slight frown on her face.

"Oh, nothing." He didn't realize he had been staring at her. "You just look... different this morning.

"Different good, different bad?"

"No, all good. There's just a lightness that hasn't been there in awhile."

She raised her eyebrows, then resumed her watch out the window. "I slept well last night. Better than I have in a long while." She looked down fiddling with the flaking paint on the window trim.

"Me too."

She looked up at his eyes, not believing what he had said. "Really?"

He chewed his bottom lip as he nodded. "I've always slept better when someone is near, you in particular. The winter before the prison, even with all the running we did, I always slept better having you there. Wouldn't have slept at all after Atlanta, if you weren't there."

"Hmm," she said thoughtfully.

It was true, what Daryl had said, for her too. Having someone there, having him in particular, within close proximity had always helped her to sleep. Even in the house they were separated by walls only walls and doors, but it wasn't until last night that she had finally slept comfortably.

"I still sleep on the floor," he admitted.

"Daryl, why?"

"Bed is too soft, I don't know. I just don't trust it."

"You don't trust the bed? That's probably one of the more ridiculous things I have ever heard."

"Yeah, well.... It's true! Thing will eat me alive, swallow me whole. I've had nightmares about it."

Carol giggled, "Aw, I'd save you from the mattress monster!"

"I ain't kiddin'! You should try it sometime!"

"Daryl Dixon, is that an invitation to sleep with you?"

"Wait, what? I... um, huh?" he stammered, cheeks flushed pink.

Carol laughed. She couldn't help herself, it was an extremely rare occurrence to see Daryl flustered let alone embarrassed. She giggled with her hand over her mouth, tears of laughter threatening to spill over her lids.  Daryl, despite being flustered, was delighted to see Carol in a fit of giggles.

"So glad I can keep you entertained," he mused.

Carol finally calmed herself down. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," she said, dabbing at her eyes, still smiling.

"Seriously though, I ain't kidding. That bed will eat people."

"You should try mine, it's like a cement slab."

"Oh, is it now? Is that an invitation to sleep with you, Miss Carol?" he was trying to tease her back.

"Sure is! Your bed or mine?" she asked, straight faced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thinking I'll be finishing this fic off in another chapter or two, or three. I just go where the words take me. But I also have two other fics I'm working on, and wrangling the three is definitely tricky.  
> What characters would you like to see in new works? There's a lot of Caryl and Rickyl out there, but I'm willing to give other mixes a try too. :)


	5. Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Carol come to an agreement, will peaceful slumber be in their future? :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been too long since I updated this story. Looking to finish this one in a chapter or two (which I seem to say in every chapter, LOL!) There's a new Rixonne fic that I'm working on, and one other fic (Captain Apocalypse) that I need to finish up. It's tough wrangling more than a couple stories at a time, plus a husband and kids, and a house, and my friend's two little boys, and college courses.... Oy.   
> I hope to have an additional chapter out in the next few days. In the meantime, I can be found on Tumblr and on Twitter. Feel free to toss a prompt my way, I'd love to write something new and different. :)
> 
> fandomlifetookmyhandandsaidrun.tumblr.com  
> https://twitter.com/FndmLife4ever

Daryl gaped, his cheeks burning red.

"What are you getting all embarrassed for?  We both admitted we sleep better with the other person present, last night proved it.  It's just sleep Daryl, I don't know about you, but I kinda like sleep."

He just gulped audibly, his mouth opened, but no words came out.  He was utterly dumbfounded.

“Daryl?”

“What… why…. Um…. huh?”

“Sleep.  You like it, I like it, let’s do it together.”

And just when Carol didn’t think Daryl’s eyes could get any wider, they did.

“Oh, no, Daryl! No!  Sleep!  Just sleep.  You didn’t think I meant…. or did you? Oh gosh…. This is so embarrassing.”

“I like the sleep, I do.  I’d sleep with you. Uh… dammit.  Sleep.  Just sleep. What you said.”

They just stared blankly at each other, Daryl looked away first, turned back ready to say something, but turned away again when the words simply wouldn’t come.  Carol had her face in her hands, her shoulders were shaking.  Daryl thought she was crying, and he hesitantly reached out a hand as if to touch her shoulder and comfort her.  But then he saw her wet eyes peeking from between her fingertips, and heard her take in a gasp of air, and she then burst out into a belly laugh complete with laughing tears, again.  He jerked his hand back as if he had touched a flame, and tilted his head staring at her like she had three heads.  Her fit of laughter earlier was cute, but this was downright maniacal.

His nostrils were flared, his nose turned up to one side in confusion, and a hand scrubbing at the back of his neck trying to make sense of not only their conversation just now, but Carol’s blatant guffawing in front of him.  It took a few minutes, but she calmed herself back down again, but by that time Daryl was full on pacing back and forth across the tower.

“Can we…. Can we get a do-over, of this morning?  Because I’m hella confused,” he finally spat out.

“Oh honey, you’re fine, it’s fine, we’re all fine.  It was just a conversation that went horribly wrong, I’m sorry if I messed with your head.”  She was smiling adoringly at him, hands over her mouth, watching him pace back and forth.  “Please, Daryl.  Just stop your pacing, you’re going to pop a stitch if you’re not careful.”

“And you’re going to give me a heart attack if you’re not careful!”

Carol did not respond, but Daryl was in a huff, that was for certain.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.  But back to the beginning of that conversation… last night really was the best sleep I’ve gotten in so very long.  I’m very thankful that you were there, it helped me. The talk, the rest, all of it. Truly.”

Daryl had ceased his pacing, and was now leaning against the window trim, eyes looking out the window.

“You’re welcome.  You know you can talk to me ‘bout stuff, any time.”

“The same goes for you too, you know.”

He nodded, “Thanks. If you’re serious, about sleep, I mean…. I’m not opposed to… that.  Just, no funny business.”

“Funny business?”

“Hands to yourself lady.  Just sleep. A’right?”  
Carol snickered, “Of course, pookie!”

Daryl let out a huff, and took a deep breath.  

“Wait, why would you think I’d get handsy?”  
“Didn’t say you would, or wouldn’t.”

Carol squinted her eyes at Daryl, her arms were crossed over her chest. “My God, Daryl.  It’s just sleep.  For goodness sake, I’d never do anything like that, unless you asked.  Which obviously, you never would, so don’t you worry your pretty little head about it.”

“Are you getting pissy with me?”

“I’d like to think you would know by now that I can keep my hands to myself, I’m not some horny teenager trying to cop a feel.  You keep your hands to yourself too, Mister!”  Her voice was now elevated, and quite heated with frustration and anger.

“FINE!” he spat back at her, matching her in volume.

“FINE!” She turned her back to him, and took to a window across the tower opposite of him.

She ran her hands through her hair, and across her face.  Wondering how a simple silly conversation had suddenly gotten so blown out of proportion.  This was truly insane.  Last night had been an emotionally heavy night, but being able to unload on Daryl, and have him there to support her, both physically and emotionally, had helped her with that first tentative leap over the hurdle and out of the darkness that had been plaguing her.  She knew she needed him, the camaraderie that they shared had made her feel whole at times when life would have otherwise dragged her down.

She stood leaning her head against the window, staring out at the surroundings, not even sure where to go forward.  The air in the tower was thick with awkward tension and she didn’t want that.  The argument was stupid, really stupid.  This had to stop, and she would put an end to it.  She turned on her heel and almost walked smack into Daryl’s chest.  She gasped, and looked up.  “You scared me!”

“M’sorry.  I just wanted to apologize for being a dick.”  His voice was gravelly, but soft and gentle too.

“I’m sorry too.”

“I ain’t opposed to giving it a try, the ‘just sleeping’ stuff.  Cuz last night was restful for me too.”

“Okay.  I’ve got only one condition… I’m not sleeping on the floor.”

“M’kay.  Your bed first then?”

“Right, because we don’t want you to get swallowed whole by the three headed mattress monster, named Sealy Serta and Simmons, am I right?”  She added a fierce snarling monster face and hands up and clawing out, for good measure.

“What the hell, woman.  You’re scaring me now.”

She just smiled, and smacked him on the arm.

“Sleep.  My bed. Tonight. Be there.”

He just snorted, shaking his head, and went back to his window to continue his watch.

 

*****************************************

 

It was dark.  Most of the house had turned in for the night already.  

“I’m heading up, just give me 5 minutes to change and then you’re welcome to join me.”

“M’kay.”

Carol padded quietly up the stairs, got herself into her pajamas, and was in the bathroom brushing her teeth when she heard Daryl come up.  He stood awkwardly just inside the doorway, crossbow in hand, not quite sure what to do with himself.  When she returned to her room after washing up, she just smiled at him.  

“I’ll turn my back so you can get undressed or changed, or whatever.  Just hit the lights when you’re done.”  She climbed into bed, lying on her side facing away from him.  The lights almost immediately went out.  

“Daryl?  No way you got changed that quick?  Are you gifted with super speed that we don’t know about?”  She felt him sit on the edge of the bed.

“I uh…. wasn’t sure what was appropriate.”

“Huh?  Sleep any which way you want.  That’s the goal we’re aiming for tonight, just some good sound sleep.  Or do you sleep in the nude?”

He snorted, “No!  God no, imagine how awkward that would be if the place suddenly got attacked or over run by walkers?”

“Well, you could just distract them with your high powered weaponry.”  There was a long pause, then she started giggling quietly to herself which set him off snickering next to her.

“I thought this was supposed to be a G-rated affair?”

“Oh, just get yourself comfortable and and between the sheets already!”

Daryl leaned his crossbow against the wall on his side of the bed.  He tossed off his boots, and hung his clothes over the back of the chair in the corner of the room.  He had on a tshirt and boxers, and slipped quietly between the sheets, lying on his back.  He had the sheets pulled up to his chest with a white knuckled grip on them.  He’d slept by Carol many times before, but it had always been out of necessity.  Warmth during the winter months, or simply due to a lack of space to spread out.  But this was different, it was by choice.  Carol was, for lack of a better term, his nearest and dearest friend.  There was no reason for him to feel awkward, but he did anyway.

Carol was still lying on her side, her back to him.  She could hear his steady breaths, but they sounded slightly agitated.

“Daryl?”

“Yeah?”

“Is it okay if I roll over?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“You’re not naked or anything, are you?”

“Why, you trying to catch a glimpse of something, or something?”

“No, silly!  Don’t be ridiculous.  Just wanted to talk for a few minutes before I go to sleep.”

“M’kay.”

Carol rolled over facing Daryl.  He was still lying poker straight, flat on his back, eyes all but glued to the ceiling.

“Um, you can roll over, move around, do whatever to get comfy.  Don’t be such a stiffie.”

“Uh…”

“I’m sorry, that came out wrong.”

They both giggled quietly again.  Daryl took a deep breath, and rolled onto his side curling up and facing Carol.  They were both lying in pretty much a fetal position, hands near their faces, but just inches away from each other.

“This shouldn’t be awkward Daryl, we’re two grown adults.  If you’re more comfortable on the floor in your bedroom, that’s perfectly okay.”

She watched as the tension left his shoulders.  “No, this is fine.  It’s silly, but it’s fine.  I like having you close by.”

She reached out and took one of his hands.  “This okay?”  He nodded.  She interlaced her fingers with his, then kissed the top of his hand, and placed her other on top of it.

“What’s that for?” he asked.

“Just because,” she said, thoughtfully.  “I’m just thankful to have you in my life.  I think of how things were, before.  I don’t think I would ever have met you had it not been for the Turn.”

“Mm, probably right.  I’d be off following Merle around doing stupid shit, maybe in jail, maybe worse.”

“Seriously, who’d have thought the end of the world would be a favorable event? Please don’t get me wrong, we have all suffered, tremendously.  We’ve all taken hits and endured huge losses, but… compared to where we were before?” her voice trailed off.

“I get what you’re saying, and you’re right.  Fucked up as it is now, coulda been worse if the world hadn’t ended.”

“Hmm…”

Daryl ran his thumb over Carol’s hand.  “M’glad I have you too,” he said quietly, giving her hands a squeeze.  She looked up into his eyes, and smiled.  He gave her a small smile back.    
“Good night, Daryl.”

“Good night, Carol.”

And they closed their eyes, and went to sleep.


	6. Walk the Plank

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol and Daryl experience some forward momentum with potential relationship.

Carol woke before Daryl, the sun was streaming through the window.  It was well past sunrise, which meant they missed the shift switch in the tower.  Carol’s hand flew to her mouth, and she almost bolted upright until she saw a note taped to the inside of the door.  

“Got you covered.  Daryl is hunting, Carol has a migraine. Wink, wink! ~Rick”

Carol let out a sigh of relief.  She would need to thank Rick for this later.  She rolled over on her pillow facing Daryl who was still sound asleep.  Slow steady deep breaths, just a hint of a snore.  His brows relaxed, the hard lines of his face disappeared, he almost looked like a little boy.  She smiled at the thought, the innocence, and reached out to gently push the hair from his face.  

He started to stir, but then settled back in.  She reached out, and held his hand in hers, like the night before.  She kissed it tenderly, then leaned over and kissed his forehead.  He flinched slightly in his sleep, but then rolled on his back and stretched his arms above his head, and his legs straight out, toes extended.  He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands, and then rolled back over facing her.  His eyes still closed, he reached out for her.  She took his hand, and he wrapped his other around it.  There was a gentle smile on his face, and he opened his eyes, slowly blinking the tiredness away.

“G’morning.”

“Hey there, sleepyhead.”

“What time is it?”

“Does it matter?”

“Mm, no.  Guess not.”

“How come you’re not freaking out?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s well past sunrise!  We’re supposed to be in the tower right now, or baking casseroles, or otherwise contributing to society.”

“Oh, I saw Rick. He poked his head in this morning, gave me a thumbs up... the dirty perv, and slapped that note on the door.  We got next watch.”  Daryl’s voice was still thick and heavy with sleep, extra gravelly, and Carol found it quite endearing. She loved his morning voice when he first woke up.  She didn’t realize it, but she was smiling at him.

“What’s the smile for?”

“Why do you say Rick is a dirty pervert?”

“Cuz he probably assumes we’re doing stuff... and things.”

“What’s wrong with doing stuff, and things?”

“Is this a trick question?”

“Mm-mm, totally innocent.”

“Um.  I’m not sure how to answer that.”

“Would doing stuff, and things be so terrible?  Or are there still things I don’t know about you?”

“Wow, I didn’t take you for a morning person but….”

“But?”

“I ain’t gay, if that’s what yer getting at.”

“So, wanna fool around?”

Daryl’s eyes shot open like a deer caught in the headlights.  Which sent Carol into a round of giggles.  Daryl just snorted in response when he realized she was teasing him again.

“I was only half teasing, you know.”

“That so?” he answered, his voice an octave higher than usual.  They were moving into uncharted territory at a fast pace, and he had not the faintest idea the proper responses to her questions.

“Mm-hmm.  So….. What are you thinking?”

“Honestly, woman?  You’re scaring me.”

“Why’s that?”  Carol was straight faced again, serious and without the mischievous twinkle in her eye.

“Where’s this all coming from?”

“Daryl, I’ve always liked you.  I wasn’t joking that day at the prison, not so long ago, when I told you I liked you first.  Just was never the right time or place to ‘act’ on it.”

“And that right time or place is now?” he asked, sitting up.  He leaned back against the headboard, clutching a pillow firmly to his chest.  His hair was delightfully disheveled, sticking out every which way, about four times its usual volume in bed-head glory.

“Well, I’m not acting on it it, per se.  It’s just a conversation.  Not trying to make you comfortable, just going with my gut.  Have you ever wanted to…. you know, with anybody?”

“Oh sure, between stabbing walkers and killing cannibals, I’ve been all but writing the latest damn romance novel and planning romantic interludes.”

“Daryl, that’s not what I meant!”

“I never entertained the idea of getting with somebody.  Does that make me a freak or somethin’?”

Carol shook her head.  “No, not at all.  I just wonder what goes on in that head of yours.  I just want you to be happy.  I’m happy as long as you’re happy.  That’s all.”

“Then what’s with all the questions.  Good lord, I’m doing just fine….”

“Daryl.  I like you.  Always have.  I’m not playing games with you when I say this.  I wouldn’t mind moving things forward with you, beyond friendship, if that is something you might be interested in someday.  I also won’t push, or make you uncomfortable if that’s not what you want either.  Okay?”

Daryl was perplexed at this revelation.  Carol was his girl, through and through, but for reasons unknown to even him, he had never thought of her or any of the women in their group in any way other than purely platonic.

“Why now?”

“I don’t know.  We finally have some semblance of safety again, like we had at the prison.  I should have said something then, but Rick sending me away… Well…. You know as well as I do that we are not guaranteed a tomorrow.”

He nodded, fiddled with his fingers picking at his cuticles and gnawed at the side of his thumb.  She reached up and pulled his hand away from his mouth.

“I uh…. I ain’t got much experience, with stuff,” his voice barely louder than a whisper.

“It’s been an age and a half for me, a different life time.  I’m not worried about it.  Just… if something is bothering you, just talk to me.”

He nodded again, not quite meeting her eye.  This was too heavy for him to process so soon after waking.  He was used to making split second decisions when it came to safety.  But when it came to matters of the heart, that required time and quiet for reflective thought.

“‘kay, got a lot to think about.  If you don’t mind, I’m gonna scoot.”  He grabbed his pants and pulled them on, dropped his feet in his boots, and walked to the door.  He avoided her eyes, but said “I slept great again last night too, thank you.” And he was out the door and gone.

Carol leaned back into the pillows, quite surprised with herself for being so forward with Daryl.  It was definitely a ballsy move, but what did she have to lose?  It’s not like she’d lose Daryl, she’d done worse things and he was still there.  Not that it even compared, but if he wasn’t turned off by the things that she had to do in the past, then he was certainly a more tolerant man than most.

 

* * *

 

Daryl was out beyond the gates.  He needed to get out.  Things were too cooped up within Alexandria, and now Carol dropped a bombshell in his lap.  It was all moving too fast.  Too many changes, too soon, it was all so overwhelming.  Daryl had never had a ‘relationship’ before. Sure, he had rolls in the hay with women before.  It never lasted long enough to be a true one night stand, always more of a “fuck and run”, and it was even rarer if he remembered their name afterwards.  Most were tossed his way by Merle on nights of drunken or even drug induced debauchery.  He had never pursued a woman on his own.  He had never had a woman as a friend let alone a lover, so whatever this was with Carol had him quite beside himself.

He would be pacing like a caged animal, but the wound in his rear cheek was still healing.  So instead, he took to doing a shuffle limp, not much unlike a walker, while he was out checking his traps and snares.  He managed to get a few squirrels with his crossbow and a rabbit in one of the snares. He made a few rounds around the walls of Alexandria thinking about what the future had in store for him, with Carol.  He had never thought about her in a romantic way, but he’d never thought about anybody that way either.  When he reconnected with her at Terminus, he had run to her, pulled her into a bear hug, swung her around, and didn’t realize until afterward he set her back down that his cheeks were wet with tears of joy.  Nobody, ever, in the history of Daryl Dixon had ever brought out such a reaction in him.  Not his Momma, not Merle, nobody.  He supposed that ought to count for something.  He was one hell of an observant person when it came to physical surroundings, but when it came to emotional endeavours like love, he was like a lost blind alley cat in a rainstorm.  

He simply didn’t know how to be.  He hoped Carol had the patience to deal with his ineptitude, because he thought for certain he would leave a lot to be desired.

 

* * *

 

Since Rick had taken watch in place of Carol, she had several more hours to go until she had to take his place.  To pass the time she went to the Pantry, and decided to help fill some food orders for the elderly.  Casseroles, and cookies.  That was her forte.  There were only so many Turkey Tetrazzini’s and Tuna Noodle Casseroles she could make before she’d had enough.  And Mrs Neidermeyer, bless her heart, had already been by twice complaining about the lack of pasta makers, seemingly having forgotten that the end of the world had come and gone and she should simply be thankful for even being alive at this point.  

But while she passed the time, she thought of Daryl.  She thought of his gruff exterior, and that warm marshmallow center that he also possessed.  He was a strong yet gentle soul, and as hardened as he appeared to be, he really did have a soft heart.  Few were privy to it, of course.  He rarely cracked a smile, but you could tell he was happy by the twinkle in his eye, and the way the lines near his eyes would deepen.  And his eyes.  Oh they were crystalline blue, so deep and beautiful.  They spoke volumes without words, and could see through you, right to your very soul.  It gave her goosebumps just thinking about it.  She loved to watch him with Judith.  Judy was so enamored with his eyes, she’d just stare, and reach out to touch his face with her fat pudgy fingers.  She would tickle his eyelashes and make him laugh.  Judy was the only one the get him to produce a wide toothy grin.

Daryl, he was a good man. Despite his past experiences, he still cared, and still strived to do the right thing.  Even though a hard man to read, most folks were able to see past his gruffness.  When he returned from his hunts with venison, turkey, pheasant, and quail, and turned his prizes over to the Pantry for the people of Alexandria to use, people knew.  They appreciated his hard work.  Carol more so than anybody.  She alone knew what kind of person he had been, and how far he had come.  She also knew to tread lightly with him.  After enlightening him to the events of The Grove, and all but physically throwing herself at him, she knew he must be reeling.  And she had already gotten a reminder just the other day of what it was like when you pushed a Dixon too hard.  Yes, if this were going to happen with Daryl, it would take the utmost caution and care.  She smiled to herself thinking of him, and longing to see him again.  It was only a couple hours until her shift in the tower, but she was quite looking forward to the one-on-one time with him.

 

* * *

 

Daryl arrived back at the gates with his rabbit, and squirrels tied to his belt.  Michonne greeted him at the gate, head tilted and smiling wide at him.

“What are you smilin’ at?” he asked gruffly.

“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know?” she replied back.

“Nah, maybe I wouldn’t.”

“So, how’s Carol doing?  Heard she had a bit of a migraine this morning?”

“I’m sure she’s doing just fine.”

“Mmm-hm.  Wouldn’t have to do with a certain…. roommate, now would it?”

Daryl took a step back and shot Michonne a dirty look.  “You got something to say M’chonne, then just say it.  Ain’t got time for your games.”

“Just wanna make sure my girl is okay, that’s all.”

“Since when is Carol ‘your girl’?”

“Oh shut it, Dixon.  If it were Carol coming back through the gate, I’d be giving her shit about you too.”

Daryl only scowled at her, slung his crossbow over his shoulder, and walked away back to the house.  Michonne merely smiled after him, and slid the gate shut.  She very much enjoyed giving Daryl a good ribbing, he was such an easy target with how easily he got flustered about Carol.  Even Michonne she knew there was something special with those two back when she first met them, surprised her very much that to this day they had not become official.

 

* * *

 

 

It was a habit the group hadn’t entirely grown out of, building a fire at the end of the day.  While it was no longer needed to heat their water or cook their food, it provided a sense of comfort and camaraderie in a place that still did not feel quite like home.  People trickled in and out, on their way home from working their assigned shifts, on their way off to bed for the night.  Lights flicked on and off inside the homes as people went about their business, and soon it was just Carol and Daryl by the fire.  Daryl was seated, leaning back against a log with his arms spread to the side.  His legs lay straight in front of him, crossed at the ankles.  His brows were furrowed, he was deeply lost in thought, not even realizing that Carol had been staring at him for a good ten minutes.

“Penny for your thoughts?” she finally asked.

“S’nothing,” his eyes flickered to hers, and back to the fire.  

Carol knew it wasn’t “nothing” that was bothering him.

“Daryl, it’s just us…” indicating that he could speak freely, unguarded, as he often only did with her.

His eyes went to hers again, across the fire.  She was seated in a lawn chair opposite him, feet up on the rock ring surrounding the flames, warming her toes.  It was a bit of a chilly night.

“I meant what I said, ain’t ever been in a real relationship before.  I don’t know shit…”

“You’re going to be just fine, Daryl.  If and when the day comes, you just do what feels right in your heart.”

“It can’t be that easy.”

“It is, but it isn’t”

“See?  Why’s it gotta be some big damn mystery?”

“Daryl, even if love and romance came with a step by step instruction manual and FAQ sheet, what man ever reads the directions?”

“Well, I know for a fact I’m not like most men…”

Carol stood up, looking a bit exasperated, and walked over to his side of the fire.

“I know.  I know you.  You’re very observant.  All you have to do is watch.  Listen.  Feel.”

“Think I can manage that.  But… what’s it like?  Being with somebody?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“It’s… um… May I?”  she gestured to the empty space beside him, seeking permission to sit by him.

“Mm-hmm,” and he scooted over a bit, to give her more room.

She sat sideways, legs tucked underneath her and leaning forward slightly toward him. She placed a hand on his knee, rubbing gently with her thumb.  Her other, she put on his shoulder.  He flinched only slightly, she saw his eyebrows raise slightly, questioning her move.  She knew she would need to be careful with her words, choose them wisely and carefully to make the biggest impact.

“When you’re with someone special, you’ll just know it.  In one word… curiosity.”  She was looking deep into his eyes and speaking so softly.

“You’re going to want it…” she reached up, and brushed the bangs from his eyes, letting her fingers linger on his cheek bones.  He was mesmerized, eyes unblinking, watching her every move, soaking up every syllable she spoke.

“You’ll long for it….”  and she leaned in, brushing her lips against his cheek, and whispered,

“You won’t be able to resist….” she moved to his lips, barely touching them.

“You’re going to want to know… what it tastes like….” He could feel her breath hot against his lips, but she leaned up, and kissed his temple so tenderly.  Daryl’s eyes were closed.  He was taking only short shallow breaths, his lips parted slightly, as if in a daze.

“I do…” he gasped, whispering back to her, “I do want to know....”

She leaned back, giving him space, “and you will, when you’re ready.”

Daryl was still frozen in place, eyes closed.  He took a deep breath and his eyes opened, and he turned his head toward hers.  

“Oh….”

She was smiling at him, he couldn’t help himself and smiled shyly back at her before dipping his head and fiddling with his fingers.  

“I think I’m going to like this,” he whispered.

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This goes back awhile (month or two?), to a Pirates of the Caribbean gif set (see link below.) So I obviously borrowed from them, the wording belongs to them writers of PotC. I forgot that I had started this chapter weeks ago, before my life got a bit crazier than usual.
> 
> I have NO clue where I'm going with this Caryl fic. The only smut I have ever written was back in High School, over a decade ago, and it was three stories. I was told at the time it was good, and damn me for not saving them!!! LOL! So... we shall see. Going in blind to the next chapter, wish me luck!!
> 
> http://fandomlifetookmyhandandsaidrun.tumblr.com/post/116022207988/foreverlovingdaryldixon-i-need-a-fanfic-written


	7. Take the Plunge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl has some alone time while on a hunt, and makes a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am oh so very sorry for taking *gasp!* nearly two months to update this story. Unacceptable! In my defense, the potential smut was scaring me off, and well.... I wrote some for another story, and finally found a level of comfort that allowed me to take the next step with this story.
> 
> So, I gift you some one-on-one Caryl time. Enjoy!

Several months passed, Daryl’s injured rear was fully healed, and he and Carol still shared a bed but had not yet taken that next step.  It was an atypical relationship, but given that neither Carol nor Daryl were typical people, atypical was their normal.  Nobody questioned it, short of a light occasional teasing, when they found out that Carol and Daryl were officially sharing a bedroom.  “It’s Carol, and Daryl,” served a perfectly suitable explanation.

Carol never pushed Daryl to further the relationship, much to his relief.  He still remained curious, however, unsure of how to take that next step when the time came that he decided he would be ready.  Curiosity.  That’s what Carol had said it would be.  The kind of curiosity that could not be relieved with a touch, a look, or simple conversation.  It would leave you yearning for more.

They had fallen into a predictable pattern.  His hunts, his recruiting runs, and his shifts at the gate and the tower all fell into a schedule, and Carol worked her own jobs to coincide with his.  Sometimes they would be on duty together, other times they would be divided.  Daryl wasn’t one to make cookies and casseroles, and Carol, try as she might, was not a huntress.  But at the end of the day, they met with a smile, a kiss to the top of the head, or a hand placed gently on a forearm.  A simple motion that said, “I’m here.”

It was on one particular hunt that Daryl let his mind wander.  It was late fall, early winter.  The ground was covered in a frost, and he rubbed his palms over his arms in an attempt to keep warm.  He perched himself up in a tree, not having a suitable tree stand for the purpose of hunting, but got himself situated and comfortable enough that he could sit still and wait for something to cross his path.  Deer and turkey were fat and plentiful after the long summer, and he hoped to get quite a few to stock up and see the community through the winter months.

Straddling a thick branch, he slouched back comfortably against the trunk of the tree listening to the birds sing and the squirrels chatter.  The air had a dense feel, an almost metallic smell.  Not quite like that of oncoming rain, but still a feeling that something was up with the weather.  It gave him a bit of almost nervous energy, and he noted the knots in his stomach were similar to that of what he felt in Carol’s presence.  The thought of her warmed him to his core.  The way her eyes twinkled when she smiled at him.  The line of her neck when she looked up at him.  The curve of her breast, and the dip of her waist when she wore a fitted shirt as opposed to those godawful matronly sweaters.  Breasts.  Carol had two, and they were beautiful, he mused.  He often thought of how they would feel under his palm.  To run his hand up her sides, to run his thumbs underneath her bra and feel the soft tender skin beneath.  To reach around to her back, undoing the hook, and pull the straps from her shoulders.  To see her nipples harden to pert nubs in the cool chilled air.  To run his hands down her abdomen and finger the button of her pants.  To pull down the zipper, and slide his hand down inside her panties.  Past the curls on her mound, into her warm slit, and plunge a finger deep into her folds and up into her core.

His breaths were coming short and hard now, his body fully responding to the thoughts.  His cock had hardened to half mast, straining against zipper.  He cleared his throat, and adjusting himself to a more comfortable position, tried to reclaim focus on the hunt.  Food.  For his family, for their survival.  What a pleasure it would be to dine on a moist succulent turkey drumstick, lapping the dribbles of grease from your hand as it ran down off the turkey leg.  Shit.  This was not going well.  He thought of being seated across from Carol, watching her chew on that drumstick.  Tearing the flesh from the bone, and running her tongue over her bottom lip to capture the juices that ran there.  That bottom lip, what it would feel like to suck it between his teeth and…

Dammit.  What it would feel like to run his tongue over her chin, to lay a row of wet sucking kisses down her neck, and lick a line down between her breasts.  Cup one with his hand, and run his tongue over the nipple of the other, sucking it into his mouth.

Sweet Jesus, he groaned as he ran a hand over himself trying to readjust his cock once more.  He shuddered, as it ached for more touch.  Leaning his head back and looking to a clouded sky, he tried to clear his mind yet again, to no avail.  Here is as good a place as any, I guess, he thought.  He pulled the red rag from his pocket and set it on front of him, then reached for his pants, undoing the button and pulling down the zipper.  He pulled up a knee resting his lower leg over the thick branch, affording him more access.

He ran his hand over his hardened shaft, groaning loudly at the relief of his touch.  Squeezing firmly, he pumped his hand up and down the shaft, running his thumb over the top, spreading the come that had leaked there.  Giving his hand a twist as he reached the head, and thrust it back down firmly. With his free hand, he fondled his balls, surprised to see that they had already started to pull up snug to his body.  He thought of that conversation he and Carol had by the fire once more, but with a twist.  He thought of Carol straddling his lap, her soft hands on his flesh, running her fingers over his abdomen.  He began thrusting and pumping into his own hand, thinking of her hot breath against his ear and the feel of her naked breasts against his chest.  How she’d go up on her knees, and reach down grasping his cock, and aligning him to her, sink down over him, sheathing his cock entirely.  Rolling her hips, rocking together, he’d thrust up into her, gripping her hips.  Oh, but imagine the sensation if he did it for real, he thought, not just imagining it.  Her breast would be at face level and he’d suck that nipple into his mouth, and ….

With a guttural cry, he came into his hand, gripping a branch overhead tightly as to not lose his balance and fall out of the tree.  It was like a shockwave hit him, he came harder than he had ever remembered.  Closing his eyes, and hanging his head, he took several deep breaths to realign himself with reality.  He couldn’t help but grin.  If a simple hand job had felt this good thinking about Carol, then the real deal was simply unimaginable.  Maybe he was ready for more.  Maybe it was time.

 

* * *

 

Several hours later, and with four large turkeys in hand, Daryl swaggered through the gate.  He raised his hand for an awkward turkey laden fist bump with Glenn, who nodded with approval at Daryl’s good mood.  He dropped the turkeys with Olivia at the Pantry.  She promised to smoke one and deliver it to him in payment for keeping the other three for the residents of Alexandria.  Feeling fine, he practically strutted the entire walk back to the house.  

Stepping up onto the porch, he was hit with the divine smell of a pumpkin pie baking in the oven.  His mouth watered, he thought of licking pumpkin pie off of Carol’s fingers.  Stopping himself at the door, he willed his cock to chill the fuck out, and let him at least make it into the house before pitching a tent.  

He was through the door, and into the kitchen, and welcomed home with the sight of Carol’s cargo pants pulled snug across her ass as she bent down to take the pie out of the oven.  He let her put it down and close the oven before making his presence known.  

“Ooooh, someone’s got a little devil in him today,” she had noticed the way he stood, hand to the crossbow strap over his shoulder, his proud chest thrust out slightly, his eyes dark with hunger.

“How was the hunt?”

“Four turkeys.”

“Oh… it’s almost Thanksgiving!  That’s great, Daryl!  The thought of pulling back the skin, and cutting into that juicy turkey breast, I-”

“I want you,” he interrupted.

She was unable to hide a smile, and raised an eyebrow at him, “Oh?”

“Are we alone?”

She nodded.

“I don’t know shit about anything, about how to make you feel good.  All I know is I just jacked off in a tree thinking about touching you, and it was the best goddamn thing I’ve ever felt.  I need you. All of you.  And that’s downright terrifying, and fucking awesome at the same time.”

Carol’s eyes went wide.  She used the towel in her hand to dab the edge of her mouth.  With a sly smile, she put her hands on the edge of the counter, and pulled herself up sitting on it.  Her legs were spread slightly.

“Come here,” she beckoned.  He dropped his crossbow gently to the floor, and swallowing hard, he walked up to her and between her legs.  He ran his hands from her knees up over her thighs, and onto her hips.  Eyeing her from lap, to chest, to neck, and finally to her eyes, he gasped seeing the look of longing in her own.  She placed her hands gently on his face, rubbing her thumbs over his cheek, and drinking in the sight of him.  “You seriously masturbated to the thought of me?”

He nodded dumbly.

She pulled him in, wrapping her legs around his waist, and placing her lips tenderly on his.  “We have the house to ourselves for the next couple hours.  Daryl…,” her breath came in soft pants.  “I haven’t been touched in so, so very long.  Please… touch me?”

With a growl, his lips met hers, kissing her firm.  Her tongue ran along his bottom lip, and he opened his mouth letting their tongues meet and mingle.  Carol reached up and began to unbutton Daryl’s shirt, running her hands inside and through his sparse chest hair, and over a nipple.  The sensation shocking him, he pulled back with a gasp.  She gave him a confident look, filled with need, and she grabbed his hands placing them at her hips.

“Touch me anywhere, just please… touch me.”  There was an air of desperation to her voice.

His fingers fumbled with the button of her pants, pulling down the zipper to reveal pink satin panties.  Kissing her hard, and letting their tongues dance together, he put his hands down inside her panties.  Running his fingers through her curls, finding her damp slit.  He groaned, his body falling against her, gasping at the feel of her damp heat so ready for him.  He ran a finger over her clit, and down into her wet folds.  Her shuddering breaths were hot against his neck, and she rolled her hips, bucking into his hands.  Pushing deeper, he found her wet entrance and thrust a finger inside.  She leaned back on her hands, throwing her head back, a soft cry coming from her mouth.  He kissed her throat as he thrust his finger in and out, rubbing his thumb over her clit, her body shaking and melting into him.  

“More, please.  Another finger, please…” she begged.  Two fingers, and he fucked her with his hand rubbing circles with his thumb over her nub.  His fingers were wet with her juices, and his cock was hard and wanting.  He reached down to adjust himself, and her hand grabbed his wrist.  “Let me,” she begged with a hoarse whisper.  Unbuttoning his pants, she slid her hand inside running tenderly over the soft skin of his erection. “Oh…” she groaned as Daryl thrust his fingers harder into her.  “Oh….” he growled against her shoulder, as she ran her hand up and down his shaft.  His hips rutted into her hand, and her hips bucked against his.  Sweat dripped down from his temple, she kissed him, then licked the bead of sweat before it could drop off his jaw.  

“Oh, Daryl…” she gasped against his ear, “I’m almost there.  Don’t stop!”

She ran her hand firmer and faster up and down his shaft, and he increased the pressure and attention to her clit.  With a cry, her legs did a vice grip around his waist and she rocked her hips against his hand as she came with a shudder.  Her hand grasping at his shoulder, stopping momentarily from the assault on his cock.  As she started to come down off her high, he thrust his cock helplessly against the inside of her thigh.  Breathless, she turned her attention back to him.  She pulled his hand from her panties, “Lick your fingers.”  She pushed him back a few steps, his back to the kitchen island.  She slid off the counter pulling down his zipper and letting his pants fall to the floor.  On her knees, she ordered him again, “lick your fingers, I’ll take care of this.”

Daryl’s body nearly buckled, as she sucked his cock into her mouth.  Hot, wet, and velvety smooth.  She looked up at him as his eyes rolled back into his head, his tongue laving at the fluids on his fingers.  It didn’t take long, she massaged his balls as she sucked him in deep.

“Ain’t gonna last long woman…”

She looked up at him, and moaned, and watched as his eyes went wide and his body jerked and twitched as he came.  She swallowed, and sucked the last few drops from him, before wiping her mouth with her towel and smiling at him.  His knees bent, leaning against the counter, gripping the edge tight so he wouldn’t collapse on the floor.  He took a few moments to catch his breath.

“My God… is it always like that?” he asked, incredulous.

Carol replied with a smirk, “Oh, Pookie… that’s only the beginning!”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably be looking to complete this story in the next couple/few chapters. I have NOT been using a beta thus far, but I think I'm finally at a point where I feel semi-confident enough to ask someone to be my beta and not being quite so fearful that they'll tell me my writing blows. So, if you are a beta, or know of a good one, please let me know!
> 
> I love comments, let me know what you liked. Give me ideas for new stories, drabbles, one-shots, chapter stories, etc. I'm open to just about anything TWD related. :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl obtains some words of advice and encouragement from friends now how to proceed in his relationship with Carol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My chapters seem to be getting progressively longer, LOL! This one totals in at 3,700 words or so. I'm expecting (hoping?) the next one is just as long, because there's going to be some good stuff happening there.

Carol served dinner that night with a perpetual smile on her face, and Daryl couldn’t keep his eyes off of her.  All half smiles and smirks, and sidelong glances through his shaggy bangs.  This did not go unnoticed by Rick.  He looked between the two, all heart eyes at each other, and chuckled while shaking his head.

“What’s so funny, Grimes?” growled Daryl, suddenly feeling a touch self conscious.

“Not a thing, man.  Not a thing.  A Dixon smile is a rarity,  and I have the feeling that the one on your face… it’s not just cuz I’m in the room.”

“A man cain’t smile for no reason?”

“Sure they can, but a smile like that… that lights up your whole goddamn face, to the point you practically glowing?  Mm-mm, no.  That’s not for no reason.”

“Don’t you think twice about it, Daryl.  I like your smile, regardless of why it’s plastered to your face,” Carol teased as she sat down opposite of him at the table, sending him a salacious wink and an eyebrow waggle.

“Do you think I can’t see what’s going on between you two?” argued Rick.

Daryl nearly choked on his mouthful of food.  “Sure this is appropriate chatter with kids present?”

Carl rolled his eyes, “Seriously, Dad.  You’re going to have the sex talk with them?  They’re old, I’m pretty sure they know about the birds and the bees.”

“Carl, take your sister and go next door.  Maggie and Glenn are having a movie night, somebody found Land Before Time while out on a run.”

“The dinosaur movie?  YES!!” Carl shoveled the last few forkfuls of food on his plate into his mouth, picked up a smiling Judith and grabbed her diaper bag as he ran out the door with her.

Carol dabbed at her mouth with her napkin, “I think I’m going to join them, let you two chat.”

“You don’t have to-”

“Yes, I do Daryl.  It’s okay.  You two talk, I’m right next door if you need me.  Promise.”  She cleared her place at the table, and on her way out she made a point of kissing Rick on the head, “Please, be gentle with him,” she whispered in his ear.

Moving on to Daryl, she kissed him on the head as well, and leaning down to whisper in his ear, “Thank you… I meant what I said, it only gets better.  And only when you are ready. No rush.”  

Daryl blushed, and gave her a curt nod.  With a smile and a wave, she was out the door.

Daryl sat with his fork in his fist staring at his plate.  Rick eyed him as he continued to eat.  The only sound, the tinking of his fork and knife as they hit the plate, and the tick-tock of the clock on the mantle.  He watched as Daryl used the backside of his hand to wipe the sweat from his brow, the very vision of a young school boy sweating it out in a chair outside the principal’s office.

“Daryl, something troubling you?”

Daryl put his fork down, shook his head as he ran his damp hands up and down his thighs.  

“Did I do something to offend you?”

Daryl shook his head.

“Okay.  Is it about Carol?”

Daryl nodded.

“Everything okay with you two?”

Daryl couldn’t stop the grin as it spread across his face. He tried to hold it back, but the smirk on his face, the undeniable twinkle in his eye could not be stopped..  That smile spread up his cheekbones and into his eyes, and Daryl bobbed his head.

“Did you…”

Shaking his head quickly, he cleared his throat.  “We… um.  We did stuff…. things.  But not the um…. we haven’t gone all the way yet.”  He sat back in his chair, running his hand over the back of his neck.

“That something you need to talk about?”

“Well… it’s just that… I… well, I’ve never….”

“Are you a virgin?”

“What?!?” Daryl glared at Rick, “No, I ain’t no VIRGIN.  I done it plenty of times.  Just never with anyone special.”

Rick had his hands up in surrender, “Hey man, I’m here to help.  But I’m not mind reader.  Talk to me.  There’s no need to be embarrassed, no judgment here whatsoever.”

With his hands on the edge of the table, Daryl tipped his chair onto it’s back legs, rocking it back and forth absentmindedly.

“I trust you understand the basic mechanics of it, then?”

Daryl nodded.  

“What have you two done so far, if you don’t mind my asking.  I don’t need details, just… give me an idea.”

“I told her I wanted her… She asked me to touch her, said she ain’t been touched in so long.  We just used our hands, and we both…” he cleared his throat again.

“And now you’re thinking about taking things, all the way?”

“Mm-hm,” he nodded.  “I don’t like that term, making love.  But… she’s worth more than a quick go.  I want to make her feel… I don’t know man.  This is embarrassing.”  He held his hands over his face, shaking his head.  “How do I know if I’m doing things right?”

Rick stood up from the table, taking his plate into the kitchen.  Daryl watched as he rinsed his plate and placed it in the sink.  Then he grabbed the step stool, and reaching up into the high cabinet over the refrigerator, he pulled out a half empty bottle of whisky and two glasses.  He poured a generous amount into both glasses, adding a little extra to Daryl’s.  Returning to the table, he placed on in front of Daryl, but kept his hand over the top of the glass.

“I know you.  You’re going to pick this glass up, and swallow it down as fast as you can.  But that’s no way to enjoy the finer things in life.  What’s in this glass?  Johnny Walker Blue Label Scotch whiskey.  It ain’t cheap.  It’s meant to be smelled, to be sipped, let the liquid roll around on your tongue.  When swallowed, you’ll feel it’s warmth slide down your throat.  Not like that cheap burning fire pits of hell gasoline whisky that most people shoot down their throats.”

Rick removed his hand from the glass.  Daryl picked it up, eyeing the amber color, reminding him of how the leaves turn in the fall.  He swirled it around in the glass a little, taking a small sniff before pulling a sip into his mouth.  He sloshed it around in his mouth, and let it run down his throat.  Smooth, warm, an almost smoky flavor and a tinge of sweetness.

“Feels good, right?”

“Mm, yeah, it does.”

“All it takes is a little time for maximum enjoyment.”

Daryl nodded knowingly, “So you’re saying, slow down, then?”

“I’m saying…. don’t rush.  Take your time.  Remember the senses.  Smell, taste, touch.  And you can do so much with your hands, and your mouth.”

“Mouth?”

Rick chuckled, his cheeks tinged pink, “Yes, your mouth.  Everything that your hands can do?  Your mouth can do too, and then some.  Licking, sucking, nibbling… you get the idea.”  He took a sip of his whisky, and watched as he swirled the liquid in his glass.

“Pace yourself too.  Pay attention to the way she breaths.  The way she moves.  The sounds she makes when you touch her.  Don’t think just about yourself and getting off, make it all about her.”  Rick twisted the ring on his finger, bittersweet smile on his face.

“And afterwards… that pretty important too.  When you’re… done, don’t just get up and rush outta there.  Hold her, kiss her, love on her.  And the days that follow, let her know what she means to you.  Let her know you’re thinking of her.  Bring her flowers, something that reminded you of her, leave her little notes on her pillow…”

Daryl noted the hint of sadness in Rick’s voice.  “Did you… did you do those things for Lori?”

Rick shook his head, “In the beginning, I did.  But things changed after Carl was born.  I was always working to make ends meet, and we drifted apart.  It’s the little things, Daryl.  They mean so much, and…” He pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes.

“Hey, I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s okay, Daryl.  I’m sorry, I… You saw how I was with Lori.  We don’t get second chances in this world. Just remember that, don’t make the same mistakes I did.”  His eyes were wet, and red rimmed, and his words fierce, piercing Daryl’s heart.

“I got it, man.”

“Do you love her?”

Daryl sat back for a moment, thinking.  Every waking moment was pretty much consumed by thoughts of Carol.  Most of everything he did was for her, and for his family.  But ultimately, it always came down to her.

“She’s my world.”

“Then make sure she feels it, knows it.”

“Alright, man.  Thanks.”

They sat together a short while longer, sipping from their glasses.  

“Go to her, go enjoy the movie with her.  I got blue balls to take care of, and this mess,” he gestured to the dishes in the kitchen.

“Shit man, I didn’t need to hear that.”

Rick chuckled, “It’s your fault!  You’re getting some, and I haven’t had a piece of ass since… It’s been too long.”

“Alright, alright.”

“Don’t worry none about me, my hand suits me just fine for now.”

With a groan, Daryl stood up.  

“Hey, just remember there are children in this house, and the walls are thin.”  Rick winked at him, as he walked his way into the kitchen to do the dishes.  

“I’ll keep my eye out for some good porn for ya on my next run then,” Daryl ducked behind the wall just as Rick chucked the towel at him.

 

* * *

 

In the weeks that followed, Daryl made a point of letting Carol know that he was thinking of her often.  He’d bring her a flower whenever he went beyond the walls to check his traps and snares.  He brought her a jasper stone that caught his eye on a supply run he took with Michonne.  When Aaron and Eric took him out to familiarize him with the area, they stopped in a town library to stock up on books, and he brought her everything he could find by Mark Twain, remembering how she would read to the children back at the prison.  He made sure to pay extra close attention to Aaron and Eric too, watching how they interacted.  With Daryl, they were free of judgment, so they didn’t try to hide their affections.  They held hands, they cuddled, they kissed, passed words of endearment.  He took mental note of it all.

One particularly awkward evening, the three sat around a small fire cooking up some squirrel for dinner.  Daryl’s mouth had opened and shut a half dozen times, words failing to be emitted. Aaron and Eric passed a look between each other and back to Daryl.

“Everything okay Daryl?” Eric finally asked.

Daryl’s adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he nodded, his eyebrows knotting together.

“Uh-huh, okay… don’t think we haven’t noticed that you’re a bit… distracted this evening.”

“You know, Aaron.  I have half the mind to think that he’s got a certain someone on his mind.”

“I think you’re right, Eric.  There’s a stunning silver haired fox that I’ve noticed he’s been pretty much glued to lately.”

“Hm, you’ve noticed that too?” Eric gave a sidelong glance at Daryl, who was watching the two of them have their little conversation as if he weren’t even there.  “Ah… new love!  The electric energy that comes with simple touch…”

“The knots in your stomach when your loved one is near…”

“The sharp incessant ache in your heart when they’re afar…”

“The way your breath quickens when you think of them…”

“The heart races…”

“You begin to sweat…”

“And when you’re finally together again…”

“It’s skin on skin, engtangled limbs, wriggling and writhing…”

“The mashing of bodies moving in symphony, the ever growing-”

“STOP!” Daryl was nearly panting, “Just… stop. Please.”

Eric and Aaron exchanged a giggle before pulling on their serious faces, and addressing Daryl properly.  Daryl growled as he ran his hands over his face.  “Is it that fucking obvious?”

“Daryl, please…” prodded Aaron, “just tell us what’s on your mind.  Yes, we’re teasing about you and Carol, but even a blind man could see that you two have something special, whatever it may be.”

“Ain’t nothing I’ve ever seen or experienced in my life,” he admitted, toying with the seam of his jeans.

“So, are you just best friends? Or something more?” prompted Eric.

“Man, I don’t even know.  She’s my family.  We haven’t… We’ve done stuff, we just haven’t-”

“Gone all the way?” asked Aaron.

Daryl nodded, his chin fell to his chest as he drew up his knees and hung his arms over them.  “She’s not had a good experience with men.  Her husband, he abused her.”

“You think that’s holding her back, from taking things to the next level?”

“No… It’s part of what’s holding ME back.”

An incredulous look was shared between Aaron and Eric.  

“Okay, Daryl… Carol has eyes for nobody else.  I’ve seen other men flirt with her, harmlessly of course, and she’s been polite and always put a squash on it.”

“He’s right you know,” offered Eric. “I’ve see the way she looks at you, and trust me when I say this.  If I were her, I would climb you like a- OW!”  Eric rubbed the back of his head and glared at Aaron for the offending smack to the backside of his head.

“Rude much?” Aaron turned back to Daryl, “I don’t think there’s a question of whether or not Carol wants you.  Are you concerned about your ability to perform?  Because we could totally give you some pointers.  Granted we lack female genitalia, but…”

“What he means to say, is that making love to someone who has a vice grip on your heart… same sex or not, it’s not all that much different.”

“Let’s take it a step back,” Aaron slid around the fire a little closer to Daryl.  “You want to be with her, in every way, yes?”

“Shit, yes.”

“Tell her that.  Tell her what’s bothering you.  Don’t shy away from it, because if you recede into yourself and draw away from her… Trust me when I say this, that’s more cruel to the heart than the beating of fists.”

Daryl nodded, “But how do I make it… ya know, special?”

“Are you a virgin to romance, Daryl?” asked Eric.

Daryl groaned, “That’s one way of puttin’ it.”

“You guys touch each other right?  Hugs, kisses?  Dip a hand under the clothes…”

Daryl nodded, blushing.

“And I’ve seen you bring her stuff back.  Flowers, I heard about the jasper stone, and we know about the books, among other things…”

“And what did she do when you gave those things to her?” asked Aaron.

Daryl blinked, “Well, the flowers were Cherokee Roses.  There’s a story behind it, gave her one when her daughter was missin’.  I looked for that girl, for days.  But we were too late.  Anyway, I found some one day when I was out checking traps, and I brought it to her.  Even put it in a beer bottle like the first time.”

“What did she do,” asked Eric, as he sidled up closer to Daryl’s other side.

“She cried.  I thought I done something wrong, but she smiled at me, and then I just held her for a long time.”

“Awww,” Eric smiled at him with wet eyes.  “What about the other things you’ve gotten her or done for her?  What did she do those times?”

“Varies from being assaulted with affections to… um, a few steps beyond a rub-and-tug.”  Daryl was blushing crimson.

“Huh, I’m jealous.  I’ve never gotten a rub-and- OW!” Aaron yelped.

“Don’t feel so sweet, now does it,” Eric grumbled at Aaron.  “And I’ll have Daryl know that I’ve made rocking mad passionate screaming my name from the rooftops love to you after you’ve returned from a long run, gifts or no.”  Turning his attention back to Daryl, Eric tapped the underside of Daryl’s chin up with his knuckle.  “Dare-bear, sweetheart, puddin’ pop….” He ran his fingers over Daryl’s collar straightening it up a bit.  “I think you worry too much.  Take a shower, run a comb through that delightfully shaggy mop.  Get yourself into a clean pair of jeans, I’ll go rip the sleeves off of one of Aaron’s plaid shirts, because your shoulders…. they go one for miles and those arms deserve to be worshipped, and-”

“What Eric is TRYING to say,” interrupted Aaron, “is to get yourself cleaned up, bring Carol over to Casa Raleigh, we’ll wine you and dine you with some Serious Spaghetti.  We’ll even put you guys up in the little Cape in the back corner lot, it’s still empty.  You don’t have to worry about thin walls, or nosy neighbors.  You can just have a night spent with each other, the best “weekend away” one could have in an apocalypse.  Oh, and I’ll snag you some flowers from Deanna’s garden.”

“Just give us a couple days after we get back so we can set things up.  Mm-kay?”

Daryl smiled widely at them despite nearly gnawing off the side of his own thumb.  Nervous habit.  “Okay,” he breathed a sigh of relief.  Having had discussions with Rick, and now Aaron and Eric, he was feeling a little better about things.  The fact of the matter was, Carol had seen him at his worst, just as he had seen her at her worst.  Did either of them balk? Turn tail and run never to speak again? No.  Never.  They always found their way back to each other.  As long as he kept her smiling, and as long as they always found the will and the way back to each other, then he was worrying quite needlessly.  Well, he would still worry, but suddenly the prospect of taking that final step with Carol wasn’t quite so debilitating.

 

* * *

 

The RV pulled in to the gates a few days later, Daryl hopped out making his way back to the house.  Arms swinging, confident swagger in full effect.  He fist bumped Tara with gusto as he passed her by, earning himself an impressive and questioning wolf whistle from her.  He winked at Michonne as she ambled by on patrol.  Bounding up the steps to the porch, he was hit with the invisible wall of amazing smells.  Mmm, Carol was baking again.  Oatmeal cookies, he cocked his head and quietly stepped into the house.  He toed off his shoes and silently set his crossbow down, leaning it against the wall.  With hunter stealth, he stepped lightly toward the kitchen.  Making note of a silent house, save for Carol’s movements in the kitchen, he peered around the corner.  She had her back to him once again, spooning dollops of cookie dough over onto a cookie sheet and seemingly oblivious to his presence.

He moved so he stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest leaning into the doorframe, hip cocked.  He watched the way her hips swayed as she moved the tray over to the oven, opened the door, and bent down to slide it in.  She grabbed another cookie tray, and stepped back over toward the bowl of dough, scooping more little balls of dough out onto the tray.  With tentative steps, Daryl made his way up behind.  He moved his hands down to encircle her waist, and-

“I know you’ve been standing there staring at my ass,” she made no effort to turn toward him, just kept right on doling out the dough.

He ran his hands over her hips, wrapping his arms around her.  He buried his face into the crook of her neck, kissing her from behind her earlobe down toward her collarbone.  

“Hmm… that does things to me you know.”

With a subtle thrust of his hips, “Oh, I see it does things to you too,” she mused, feeling his hardening form, and finally turning around in his arms, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt and pulling him down into a kiss.

“I missed you,” he murmured as he pecked out kisses along her jaw, running his tongue over the outer edge of her ear.  

“What’s gotten into you, this is… Oh…” her breath was hot against his skin.  He rested his forehead against her shoulder for a moment, “Two days from now, you free?”

“Depends,” she nuzzled into his neck, breathing in the scent of the woods, the leather of his vest, him.

“Depends?  On what?  You got a better offer or somethin’, that I don’t know about?” He pulled away from her.  He had only been away from her for 5 days, had something changed he didn’t know about.  

She brushed the hair from his face, “Settle down, Dixon. I’m just teasing.”  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she gave him a peck on the lips.  “Yes, I’m free.  What do you have up your sleeve?”

Feeling slightly better with her response, he chose a ballsy move.  “I’m taking you away from all this.  Gonna take you out to dinner, then we’re going away for the night.”

She cocked a brow at him, “Oh really?  Vacation time in an apocalyptic setting?”

Daryl rolled his eyes at her, “It’s dinner at Aaron and Eric’s, there setting up that little yellow Cape up for us, the one on the back wall that isn’t occupied yet.  We’re getting it for the night.”

“You mean… I don’t have to cook dinner, or clean up?”

“Nope, you just gotta be my date for the night.  Ya know… if you wanna.”

She smirked at him, “I’d love to.  Pick me up at 7?”

“You betcha.  But make it 6. Pack an overnight bag, and don’t wear none of that frilly housewife shit.  I’ll take you out on the bike if you want, wear them boots, I miss ‘em.”

He kissed her on the forehead, and pulled away.  “Gotta go clean up.  Two days.  Me and you.”  He backed away and didn’t stop until he was in his room leaning back against the closed door, wiping the sweat from his brow in relief.  Two days until his life changed.  He was terrified and excited all at once. “You best not fuck this up, Dixon,” he muttered to himself.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope to be blessed with a visit from the creative smut fairy for the next chapter. Yes, folks! Caryl is getting it ON in the next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol and Daryl finally have their first "date," of sorts. Things progress, and they get to enjoy some alone time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely apologize for leaving you all hanging since July. I had a six thousand word behemoth prepared, and then got a massive case of writer's block. So I finally got inspired again, wiped the dust off the keyboard, and split those six thousand words down to a more respectable two chapters. The second needs work, but I hope to get that out in the next week or so. In the meantime, enjoy Carol and Daryl as they enjoy an evening together. :)

“Daryl, HI! So I took the liberty of-”

“STEALING.  He stole one of my shirts-”

“Which you no longer wear ever since you found out my penchant for plaid-”

“I’M NOT A LUMBERSEXUAL!”

“Pfft,” Eric rolled his eyes at Aaron, and turned toward Daryl thrusting out his arms and holding up dark navy plaid shirt.  “I took the liberty of slashing off the sleeves, fraying the edges just so, and laundering it to a softness that even a baby’s bottom could appreciate.”

Daryl stood in the doorway, eyes wide and unblinking.  He still had his hand raised ready to knock on the door that had been flung open before he even had a chance to put his knuckle out.  He had made plans to meet up with Aaron and Eric to make sure the house was ready for the weekend, and to get his motorcycle.  He was due to pick up Carol in a half our.  Earlier in the day he had made adjustments to quiet the motorcycle as much as he could, and had eyes out beyond the wall to ensure the roads nearby were clear of walkers so that he could take Carol out and let her feel the wind whipping through her hair.  Just a little break from the apocalyptic reality that they currently lived in, something bordering on normal.  Or what passed for normal before everything changed..

“Come in, Daryl.  Come in,” Aaron gestured, finally putting an arm behind Daryl’s back and ushering him inside.  “Ignore Eric, his exuberance for matchmaking is only outdone by his enthusiasm for making this weekend as pleasurable for you and Carol as possible.  And he thinks the answer to everything involves unleashing the magnificence that are your arms.  You know, they really are-”

“Lovely, aren’t they?  Daryl, can I have a word?” Michonne appeared next to the trio of men.

“Give him 2 seconds to change, then he’s all yours,” argued Eric.  “Trust me, it will be worth the wait!” Eric shoved a new pair of jeans into Daryl’s arms along with the doctored shirt, and ushered him off to the bathroom to get changed.

Daryl groaned as he shut the door behind him, pressing the heel of his palms to his eyes and shaking his head.  What had he gotten himself into.  As he toed off his boots and changed into his “new” clothes, he heard more voices entering Aaron and Eric’s home.  Good God, did everyone know what was going on?  Was there no privacy anymore?  Was nothing sacred?

He looked at himself in the mirror as he buttoned up the new shirt.  It was soft.  Very soft.  The kind of soft that he could imagine Carol nuzzling up to, wrapping her arms around him and-  No, no.  He couldn’t go thinking about that right now, that would come later.  Come, haha.  He left the top few buttons undone, pulled on his vest, and buckled the belt in his jeans.  He ran his hands through his hair, and over his cheeks where he had shaved them smooth leaving just the growth on his chin and upper lip.  Hm, not bad, he thought to himself.

He gathered up his clothes into his bag, and stepped out of the bathroom to find Michonne standing directly across the hall.  Her face lit up with that shit-eating grin, she waggled an eyebrow at Daryl.  She ran a finger under his chin, turning his face gently from one side to another inspecting him.  Gentle fingers straightened his collar, and palms brushed invisible lint from his chest. She took a step back, and eyed him up and down, before she gave him a firm “Mmmmmm-mm!” of approval.

“You done oglin’ me, woman?”

“With those shoulders?  Those arms?  Never!”

“Then what do you want, ‘chonne?  I got things to do.”

“Like Carol?” she snorted good naturedly.  “Relax, my friend.  I brought you a little something.  A… good luck charm, of sorts.”  She pulled a small brown glass tube from her pocket, and held it up to him.  “This… it’s heaven in a bottle.”  She unscrewed the cap, dabbed a small amount between her wrists and rubbed them.  And then held them to his nose to sniff.

He frowned, but leaned forward toward the offered hand.  “Kiehl’s musk.  It’s like a cologne, but it’s not.  Worn by both men and women.  Let me just tell you I have yet to meet a woman that was resistant to this stuff.”  

“Don’t make my nose itch none, but I don’t know… I ain’t a cologne guy.”

“No, no.  It’s not like that, really.  Just… couple dabs on your pulse points,” she tapped on both sides of her neck, and then tapped near the line of her hip bones.  She slid the bottle into his pants pocket, “Go ahead, pop back into that bathroom and put it on.  You’ll see the effects when you come back out.  Promise.”

Daryl glared at her, but nodded through a scowl.  After doing as she requested, he came back out and eyed her through his lashes as he made his way back into the kitchen.  Tara was there, chatting it up with Aaron and Eric.  She was there to act as Daryl and Carol’s waitress for the evening.  Aaron and Eric had a delicious meal planned, and had asked Tara to help out.

Daryl stood quietly to the side as they talked, watching as Eric’s nose twitched.  Soon followed by Aaron’s.  Michonne ran her arm around Daryl’s, “See?” she whispered.  Eric turned, and gasped.  “Lord, have mercy….”

“Wow… Daryl, that shirt…”

“Hot damn, man.  It makes me wish I swung the other way,” noted Tara.

Eric took a step forward, “There’s something else… I can’t quite put my finger on it.  Your hair? It’s fluffier?”

“Dude, I did shower.”

“Hmm, it’s more than that.  You smell clean, don’t get me wrong.  But... “ he inhaled deeply, “You smell good enough to eat.  What is that?  It’s like a dew covered meadow on a spring morning, fresh cut grass, and… those cookies that Carol makes…”

“Easy there, Eric.  Let’s not scare off, Daryl,” warned Aaron.

“It’s a little something special I found for, Daryl-”

“It’s a woodmen’s musk!” interrupted Eric.

Aaron put a hand on Eric’s shoulder, pulling him back.  “Whatever it is, Daryl, it works.  As you can plainly see.”  Aaron shrugged his shoulders apologetically, as he tugged on Eric’s arm a little harder.

“So, dude. Tonight's the big night, huh?” Tara winked at Daryl.

“Oh that doesn’t make me the least bit self conscious, at ALL,” he grumbled.

“You’ll be fine, Dixon.  Go get your girl.” Michonne shoved his shoulder, pushing him toward the door.  “Enjoy the sexcapades!” she added as she shut the door behind him, and burst into giggles.

 

* * *

 

Carol stood in front of her closet eyeing the pair of tall buckled boots in the back corner that had been collecting dust the past few months.  And the cargo pants that hung on the hanger at the end of the closet pole.  She knew what Daryl wanted, and it wasn’t the floral print sweaters or the flowing blouses, or the ballet flats that she had been wearing of late.  No, it was those very cargo pants, the boots, and the shirts she arrived with in Alexandria not so long ago.  With a sigh, she pulled the pants from the hanger and pulled them on, shocked to discover that they were not a bit snug through the hip and thigh.  Not horribly so, but the weeks and months of regular meals now had her filling out those pants in all the right places.  She pulled down a dark berry colored shirt, and her tan jacket.  Pulling on her boots, she eyed herself in the mirror, and smiled at the flush in her cheeks.

She grabbed her little pot of lip balm, and fingered some onto her lips adding just a hint of sparkle and shine.  Running a hand through her just washed hair left it it tousled and spiked to perfection.  Tweezed brows, shaved legs, and scissored manicuring of her nethers had her feeling invigorated.  Her bag was packed and ready, which felt silly considering they were going to be only a few houses away, but… when would this opportunity ever present itself again?  Time “away,” just the two of them.  She felt nervous realizing that this was going to be the first time ever that it would be just her and Daryl, alone.  Private.  No expectations, yet she couldn’t resist the high hopes.  Sure, she was terrified.  She had only ever been with Ed, and sex with him was never about her.  It was rare that she enjoyed it, and that was only back at the beginning of their relationship before he started controlling every aspect of her life.  She had only ever known sex with Ed.  She knew what it was supposed to be like, from conversations with friends.  Back when she was allowed to have friends.  And of course the occasional conversation she had with Lori, and Andrea back at the Quarry and the farm.  She had a better relationship with her vibrator than she did with Ed.  But how would that translate to what she and Daryl were about to do?  She had known all along about his trepidations, but only now was she realizing her own.  Would she be able to please him?  Or be forced to take the walk of shame?  Those “it only gets better” comments now seemed over-confident.

Sure, they had both taken care of each other with their hands, and sometimes their mouths but… he had yet to go down on her, and going all the way was a far more intimate experience, physically and emotionally.  He seemed to enjoy the things that she did for him, so it couldn’t be all bad, could it?  Oh, where was a friend when she needed it for one last boost of confidence?

The dull rumble of Daryl’s motorcycle made her breath catch in her throat.  She couldn’t help but grin despite her nervousness.  She grabbed her bag, and hustled down the stairs to find Rick waiting for her at the door.  “He’s here!” he grinned at her, “Go, enjoy yourselves.  Have fun, you both deserve it.”

“Thanks, Rick,” she smiled shyly up at him.

He cocked his head, eyeing her knowingly.  “You nervous?”

“Yeah, a little?” she huffed out a laugh.  

“You?  Grenade toting, Terminus blowing up, Carol?  Nervous?  I never thought I’d see the day!”

She scrunched up her nose at him and nodded, “I know, silly? Right?”

“I’ll let you in on a little secret… He’s just as nervous as you are,” Rick ran a hand over Carol’s cheek, and then kissed her on the forehead.  

Just then, a knock at the door.  “Go, have fun!” whispered Rick, as he sauntered away.  Carol took a deep breath, and opened the door.  There stood Daryl, in cleansed glory, a vested God.  The new dark crisp jeans, the plaid shirt, the strong tanned arms, and… a small bouquet of lilies, and.. a Cherokee Rose?

She gasped, her hand running to her mouth.  “For you…” he handed them to her.

She swallowed back the lump in her throat at his kind gesture, and the Cherokee Rose, it never failed to make her heart swell.  “They’re beautiful, Daryl… Thank you, I’ll just go-”

“I’ll put them in water for you.  Go ahead, enjoy your date!” Rick took the flowers from her and backed away toward the kitchen, shooting them a quick two thumbs up before disappearing around the corner.  Daryl turned and held out his elbow to her, “Ready to ride?”

“Most certainly!”

She climbed onto the bike behind him with her pack strapped securely to her back.  They took off away from the curb down the street, and Glenn met them with a whoop and a holler at the gate, opening wide so they could barrel through at breakneck speed.  Through the countryside, winding curves and gentle sloping hills they flew, soaking up the sun as it made it’s way slowly down toward the horizon.  Past open fields abandoned and overgrown, farms and homes fallen into disrepair, the light casting the surrounding area heavily in a golden light.  It was still beautiful, despite the world having nearly met it’s end.  Carol gripped Daryl’s waist tightly, tucking her chin into his shoulder.  They drove for nearly an hour before making their way back to Alexandria, windblown and exhilarated.  

Carol could barely wipe the grin from her face as she slid off the motorcycle with Daryl.  Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, taking in the scent of whatever it was Aaron and Eric were cooking up for dinner.  

“Come on,” Daryl reached out a hand to Carol.  She smiled at him as she intertwined her fingers with his own.

Tara greeted them at the door, with a flourish and a bow, and led them into the dining room.  Daryl held out the chair for Carol, and pushed it in as she sat down.  There was a small vase of flowers on the table, and the room was strewn with lit candles, the blinds drawn to dim the room.  There was a small cooler filled with ice that housed several bottles of beer and some wine. Tara promptly popped the cork on the wine bottle, pouring a glass for Carol.  A cap was removed from the beer, and handed to Daryl. With a grin and two thumbs up, she disappeared into the kitchen.  

Carol looked all around the room, which wavered in the glow of the candles.  It felt almost strange to be seated at a table, and being served.  Taking a sip of her wine, she noticed that Daryl was leaning back in his chair, thumb at his lips, casting glances at her from beneath the shaggy flop of hair that covered his forehead.

She kept her eye on him, watching as he fidgeted in his seat.  Keeping one hand on her wine glass, she reached her other out across the table to him.  He blinked, looking between her hand and her eyes, finally tilting his head to the side and leaning forward to wrap his hand around hers.

“Ain’t ever done nothing like this before…” his voice trailed off, his apprehension clear as day as his brow furrowed.

“What makes you think I have?” she asked, rather bravely.  She set down the wine, and placed her free hand overtop of his.  “If you’ve changed your mind-”

“Mm-mm,” he interrupted.  “No, I ain’t changed my mind.  I just…” He ran a hand over the back of his neck, biting his lip.  “I don’t want to fuck this up.  You’re special to me.”

“Then tell me, what did you do?  Before?”  She was curious, but at the same time she wasn’t.  She knew how he was back at the Quarry, when she first met him.  All gruff and tough, not a soft thing about him.

“It ain’t important, that was then.  Things are different now.  I ain’t no…” he looked around to make sure nobody was listening, “I ain’t a virgin, if that’s what you’re wondering.  Just… I want it to be good for you, is all.  Dixon’s ain’t exactly done right by people.”

He grabbed the beer bottle and easily swallowed down nearly half of it, placing it back down and heaving a somewhat dramatic sigh.

“Well… Remember in Atlanta, when I said you were like a boy when I met you, and now you’re a man?  It’s true.  And here’s the difference.  A boy would only see to his own needs.  A man, he sees to the needs of others before his own.  How often have you put the others in our group before yourself, hmmm?”  She paused, letting those words sink in.  “I have a bit of a confession to make myself then,” she squeeze his hand, getting his attention.  “I’ve only been with one man, and he was… a selfish one.  What you’ve done with your hands alone on me, I’ve never experienced that before.  So trust me when I say this, I really don’t think you have anything to worry about.  I’m just worried I won’t be… enough, for you.”

“You’re already more woman than could ever have dreamed of, I’m not worthy of you.”

“Oh gosh,” she blushed, taking a gulp from her wine glass.  She giggled to herself.  “So you’ve really been worried about this?”

He nodded.  “You?”

“Mm-hmm,” she agreed.  “Which is silly because, we’ve done so much already, and… “

He couldn’t suppress the smile as it spread across his lips, “Yeah, it’s been good.  Great.”

Scrunching her nose at him, she squinted her eyes, and leaned back in her seat.  “I guess we just tell each other when something feels good, and when something doesn’t.  I mean really, people have been doing this for millennium and-”

“What the fuck are we losing sleep over this for?”  He sat up straight, alcohol infused bravery.  “We got our booze, our good food, and each other.  That’s all we need, right?”

Eyes twinkling, she smiled.  “Exactly!”

Tara appeared in the doorway, and placed a salad in front of each of them.  They dug in, passing each other smirks and smiles.  Salad was followed by Eric’s famous Serious Spaghetti, which left Carol in a fit of giggles watching Daryl slurp up the spaghetti.  “What?” he grumbled at her.  “Have you ever seen Lady and the Tramp?  The Disney movie?”

“About them dogs?  I wasn’t a hermit, I know things.”

“Just watching you suck up that piece of spaghetti just now, reminded me of the movie.  Sophia and I used to watch it…”

His movements slowed at the mention of Sophia.  He watched Carol carefully, but her smile still hit her cheeks, and her eyes shined bright.  

“We would have movie nights, when Ed went away on business trips.  Those were the few times that we got to fun, be free.”

He nodded, picking at the pasta on his plate.  

“It’s okay, Daryl.  I’m okay talking about her.”

“I’m still... “ he sighed, putting his fork down on his plate. “I wanted so badly…”

“I don’t blame you, Daryl.  For what happened. I never did.  I miss her, I do.  Part of me wishes she were here now, but… there’s also a part of me that feels so guilty for feeling relieved that she isn’t.  I know how sick that sounds, but… this was not the world I imagined for her to grow up in.  She won’t ever have to suffer as we have.”

As if on cue, Tara was back to clear the plates.  “Dessert will be ready in just a few moments,” she whispered.

Daryl reach out and took Carol’s hand again across the table, and squeezed it tight avoiding her gaze.  The sun was starting to go down, and both their faces were lit in the glow of the candlelight.

“Hey,” she ran her thumb over his knuckles.  “What happened before?  It’s over.  What matters is now.  We’ve both… done things.  But we can’t let that affect who we are, with each other.  Tonight is about us.  Let’s just let it flow where it may.  We’ve been on an emotional roller coaster for months, years really.  We’ve got some stability here, let’s just embrace it.  Even if all we do tonight is sit and stare adoringly into each other’s eyes, that’s plenty good enough for me.”

Tara burst through the door, placing a dessert plate before each of them.  “Flourless chocolate cake.  The bribery that went down just to be able to make this for you two tonight, you two better be setting off fireworks that rival the 4th of July.  I want to feel the earth move.”  She flounced off back to the kitchen, leaving Daryl blushing and shaking his head.

They ate their dessert slowly, relishing every last bite.  Not even speaking until every crumb was wiped from their plates.  The little groans that emanated from Carol’s mouth with each bite had Daryl thinking the most impure of thoughts.  He wanted to be the one to make those noise come forth.

“That was… I think my taste buds orgasmed,” she chuckled as she dabbed her lips with her napkin.

Both Aaron and Eric peered around the doorway just then.  “Did everything meet your approval?”

“Yes, Eric!  It was delicious, my compliments to the chef!”

“We’re pleased you liked it.  You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like.  The Cape is all set up for your stay, whenever you’re ready to depart.  Tara is seeing to the fire, and will make sure the kitchen is properly stocked for breakfast tomorrow.”  The two ducked back into the kitchen, leaving Daryl and Carol alone once again.

He stood up from his chair, and rounded the table to Carol offering his hand to her.  She grasped it gently, and stood.  They gathered their packs, and hand in hand walked the quiet streets taking the long way around Alexandria, enjoying the peaceful twilight.  The faint glow of the fire welcomed them when they finally did arrive at their “vacation destination.”  The cooler was placed next to the bench by the fire pit, and there was a corkscrew and glasses on the table beside it.  Setting down their bags, Daryl took her hand in his, and pulled her in close.  She tucked her head under his chin, breathing deeply.  Something was different, she noted.  He had cleaned himself up.  The leather of his vest smelled more like leather than it had in ages.  She leaned back looking up at him.  His hair, it carried the faint scent of his shampoo, and fell softly over his eyes.  A rare sight to be devoid of sweat, grime, and walker blood.  The shirt he wore, and pants, those were new.  But no, this was something different.  His eyes were gentle, inquisitive as they looked at her.  She tucked her nose into his neck, and sighed.  “What are you wearing?  That’s not quite cologne, it’s… What is it?”

“A little something Michonne gave me, for good luck.  Some musk oil thing.  I dunno, I kinda like it.”

“Mmm, I like it too.”  She nuzzled in close, wrapping her arms around him and running her hands up and down his back.  After he squeezed her, she leaned back.  Pushing up onto her toes, she leaned in to kiss him, and pulled him over to the bench.  She poured herself a glass of wine, and popped the cap off a beer bottle and passed it to him.  They snuggled up close in the cool evening air, and listened to the crackle of the fire.  Daryl leaned his head against Carol’s, closing his eyes he breathed a deep sigh.  The beer was giving him a much needed buzz, relieving some of that ridiculous nervous tension that had been on his mind much of the evening.

Carol tipped her head back,  “What’s going on in that noggin’ of yours?”  She reached up and brushed some hair from his face.

“Mmm,” he leaned into her touch.  “Just thinkin’.”

“That can be dangerous.”

“True,” he kissed her forehead.  “It’s just… I can’t seem to get past the fact that my life is a thousand times better now, at the end of the world, than it was before.  ‘Before,’ it just feels like that was all a bad dream.  Here and now, with you… I’m afraid I’m going to wake up one day, in my shitty trailer, with Merle beatin’ on my door telling me it’s time to go hunt some squirrel.”

“I feel the same way too sometimes.  We got ourselves some bizarre sort of… fresh start.  So, you know what?  That’s exactly what tonight is. I know we’ve both had our own reservations about it, but… whatever happened ‘Before’ is irrelevant now.  It doesn’t count.  Only the here and now does.”  Her eyes shone brightly as she smiled up at him.  She moved to straddle his lap, swallowing down the last of the wine from her glass, and placed her hands gently on his cheeks.  “I am so glad to have you in my life, Daryl Dixon.”  She pressed her lips to his, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him close.  He ran his hands up and down her sides, finally settling on her hips, his thumbs through her belt loops.  He kissed down the length of her neck and across her collar bone.  She rocked her hips gently against his, a grumbling sigh emanating from Daryl’s throat in response.  Kissing her hard and deep on the lips, he ran his arms under her ass and held her firm as he stood up.  She wrapped her legs tight around his waist.  Lips still on hers, he took careful steps toward the house.

He fumbled with the door, getting it open he reached for the light switch.  But no light was needed.  There was a line of candles leading the way, through the room, up the stairs to the master bedroom.  Grinning at each other, Daryl carried her all the up the stairs, and pushing the door open they found the bed strewn with flower petals.

“My gosh, they went all out tonight, didn’t they?” mused Carol.  “What if we don’t live up to their expectations?”

Daryl snorted, “I don’t give two shits about their expectations.  Just yers.”

Pressing her forehead to his, she grinned.  “You’ve surpassed all mine.  Trust me, we’re good.”

“So we’re really doing this then, huh?” His voice was raspy, suggestive of want and need.

Detecting the note of seriousness in his voice, Carol pulled away slightly in order to look him in the eye.  “I want to do this with you, but I don’t need to do this with you.  It’ll only happen when we’re both ready.”

“Oh,” he breathed.  “I am ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, next chapter is the grand event! I'm thinking two more chapters and this story will be complete. (But then again, how many times do I say that in a story and it ends up being quite a few more?)
> 
> Gentle reminder, writers LIVE for comments. Even if you don't comment here, but read other stories, be sure to tell them what you liked. Perhaps something was thought provoking, ask questions, let them know your reaction to what you've just read. It provides excellent motivation, and can challenges the writer to do even better.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol and Daryl finally get some quality time alone and together.

“Then shut up and kiss me…” she giggled.  Several quick steps to the bed, he threw her down and collapsed on top of her.  She laughed, and they fell into breathless kisses.  She ran her hands up and down his back, and down his sides toward his waistband when he let out a rather unmanly yelp and jerked his body away from her.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I-”

“Nope, no.  I’m fine.  I-”

“Did I hurt you?”

“No, no!  Really,” he leaned in to kiss her and she slid back away from him.  “Where you goin’?”

She paused, letting him settle back over top of her with a wary expression.  And just as he dove back in for another kiss, she ran her hands over the same spot-

“No, don’t!”

“No way, that’s not possible…”  She reached out again, ghosting her fingers over the flesh of his sides, and he launched himself off of her with a snort.

“Please…”

“Daryl Dixon, as I live and breathe… are you ticklish?”

He stood with his hands on his hips, face lit with an exasperated expression.  “No!” he insisted, rather indignantly.

She stood up, and when she reached for him, he put his hand out in front of her.  “I’m not, I’m really not ticklish. I-”

“No, no!  You don’t get off that easy! All this time, how is it that we never knew?  So strong, so fierce, yet… one touch and you go completely unraveled.”  With lightning speed, she shot her hand out and goosed him.  He launched himself several steps away from her, and she gave chase.

“No, Carol, God no… Please!” he begged trying to keep ahead of her.  She kept right on his tail laughing, and grabbing for him.  He dove up onto the bed, and when he tried to get away from her she managed to scramble up on top of him.  She straddled his hips, laughing almost maniacally as she danced her fingertips over his sensitive flesh.  But the joke was on her.  He fell into breathless laughter, shuddering and twitching, but when he threw his knees upward, that tossed Carol off his hips and breasts first onto his face.   With her equilibrium thrown off, he reached down where the cheeks of her rear met the backs of her thigh, and gently dug his fingers in, remembering it to be a rather sensitive span of flesh.  With a squeal, she flailed, and tried to roll off of him.  He threw an arm around her waist holding her tight, his free hand attacking her with tickles, getting his own revenge.  “Ha, HA!  Oh, how the tables have turned!”  His voice muffled from his location between her breasts.

Carol froze, and glared down into his eyes.  “Hmm… But what will you do, when I do this?”  She reached down, and pinched his nipple.  Not enough to hurt him, but just enough to be a mix of pleasure with a hint of pain.  His eyes nearly rolled back into his head when he groaned.  His hands fell away in submission.  Carol pulled her jacket off and tossed it to the side.  Sliding her hips back atop his, straddling him properly, she placed her hands on the mattress on either side of his head and looked down at him.  She cocked her head to the side, and with a playful smirk, she grasped his shirt and undid a button.  She waited a moment, and with no reaction from him, she undid another.  Slowly she made her way down to the last one.  Pushing the shirt open, she ran her hands up his abdomen, through the sparse hair of his chest and over his nipples.  “Unnnnggh,” he groaned, arching up slightly into her touch.  She leaned forward, licking each before placing a sucking wet kiss on them.  Sitting back atop his hips, she felt him start to stir.

She rocked her hips against his, feeling the pressure of his burgeoning erection between her own legs.  He reached up taking one of her hands, and kissed her knuckles, all the while maintaining eye contact with her.  Leaning up toward her, he licked a line over her lips before dipping his tongue in.  She melted toward him, and he rolled them both over. He thrust his hips against her, both groaning at the sensations stirring within.  Rocking against her several times, her voice caught in her throat as he ran a hand up the inside of her shirt, rubbing his thumb over her breast, kissing it through the layers of material that covered them.  Kissing her neck, he rolled to her side and reached for the waistband of her pants.  With deft fingers he undid the button, pulled down the zipper, and slid his hands down inside her panties.  His breath came in hot heavy pants as his fingers dipped into the wet warmth of her folds, she was wet and wanting.  Her hips bucked into his hands at the tender touch.  

“My god woman, you’re so wet…”

“Mmm,” she moaned.  “Had to change my underwear twice today, just the thought of you is instant wet panties,” she confessed.

“Then let’s get these off of you,” he pulled her boots off, followed quickly by her pants and underwear.  He bent down to pull off his own boots, and his face was inches from her slick warmth.  He could smell her, the scent so sweet his dick twitched.  He looked back at her, his eyes dark with want.  She seemed to know what he was going to ask, and she nodded, spreading her legs open to him.

Fingers ghosted over the tender skin on the inside of her legs, and he slid down between her knees.  With flattened tongue, he ran it over her lips, sliding back and dipping within the folds, gasping at her taste.  It was a flurry of wet tongue, and searching fingers.  A combination of sucking, rubbing, and plunging within had Carol writhing and moaning at his touch.  Gasps, when his tongue laved over her clit, now a pulsing swollen nub.  Fingers thrust deep within, first one, then two, she rolled her hips into them, fucking them.  Panting breaths and moans, “Harder, please!”

He curled his fingers as he plunged them in and out, his free hand sliding up under her shirt.  He rolled a nipple between his fingers, and with a cry, she came writhing against his face.  As she came down, still quivering, he pressed the heel of his palm to her clit.  She cried out bucking into his palm.  He snuggled his head under her chin until her breathing calmed down.  

He leaned back, looking up at her.  She smiled down at him, her eyes wet with tears.  He pulled himself back up so his eyes were in line with hers, and he kissed each cheek.  She sniffled, but smiled sweetly at him, “I never imagined that would feel so good…  It was just, so intense.”  She wiped at her eyes, and rolled to her side, clinging to him.  “I’m sorry about tickling you,” she admitted.

“No, yer not.  And it’s fine.  I like having your hands on me.”  He kissed her nose.  “Just don’t tell anybody, I got a reputation to uphold you know.”

She snorted at that.  “Hmm… well, I still feel bad.  Sort of.   Maybe I can make it up to you?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Maybe… a little of this?” She reached down, rubbing his erection through his pants.

“Mmm, I like that.”

“And maybe… this?”  She ran her teeth over his nipples while her free hand unbuttoned his pants, and pulled down the zipper.

“That might work too…”

His eyes were closed, which she decided to take total advantage of.  

“Maybe this?”  She pushed down his underwear, unleashing his erection.  It was weeping from the tip.  She tightened her fist around him, and thrust her hand up and down.

“Ohhhh….”

She straddled his hips then, leaning forward to kiss him passionately.  WHen his tongue entered her mouth, she sat down on his erection as it lay against his stomach, and writhed her wet folds over him.

He gasped, his eyes flashed open.  “Yes… yes, that might work too!” he growled. He gripped her hips thrusting upwards, from her position, the head of his cock ran right over her clit leaving her trembling with need.

He sat up, pulling her shirt off her body, unclasping the bra, and pulling it from her shoulders.  He paused at the sight of her breasts, hands on each, he pushed them together kissing and licking at the nipples, and running the pad of his thumb over them.  It was a sobering moment when he discovered some scars on her.  At her ribs, some across her abdomen.  Faded, but he knew they were from Ed.  He looked up and saw her sad expression.  He kissed each one that he could reach.  Looking back at her, she gave him a small smile.  He rolled her over so she was on her back once more, and he sat at the edge of the bed, and pushed off his pants and underwear.  All that remained was his shirt.  In the past, he usually kept it on. Most of the time, even his pants too.  But this was different, this was Carol.  

She saw him hesitate, and on her knees, she sat behind him.  Slowly, she pulled the shirt from his shoulders, and let it slide down his back.  She knew he was scarred, but had not realized to what extent.  He hung his head once his back was free of the cloth protection.  She ran her fingers over each scar, and kissed them.  Hugging him from behind, she kissed his neck, and ran her tongue over the edge of his ear.  He leaned his head back against her shoulder, and sighed.

She rubbed her fingers through the sparse hair of his chest, down his abdomen, and to his twitching cock.  Fingers danced over his shaft, and went further down to his balls, giving them an affectionate rub, rolling them within her fingers.  She tightened a fist over his shaft, thrusting her hand up and down, his hand finding her wrist eventually stopping her.  “Mm,” he swallowed hard, “I’d rather blow my load in you, than on you….”  He turned his head, sucking her tongue into his mouth.  Pulling back the sheets and blankets, he laid her out and against the pillows.  He worked his way between her knees, she spread her legs wide for him.

With a shy smile, he grasped his own cock, he lined up with her entrance, and he slid in.   He shuddered and groaned as he pushed in, taking a moment to catch his breath once he was fully sheathed.  Enveloped in her heavenly warmth, he slowly began to thrust in and out.  

“Look at me,” Carol whispered. “Please?”  He didn’t realize he had his eyes pinched shut, face turned away.  He took a slow deep breath, continuing to thrust, opening his eyes to see himself sliding in and out of her.  Drawing his eyes slowly up the ivory expanse of her abdomen, between the two perfect mounds of her breasts, past the collar bones to the perfect lips, and finally settling on those beautiful blue grey eyes of hers.  Her lips were parted, in a subtle ‘o’, undeniably filled with physical pleasure.  

Daryl pressed his lips to hers, heads dipping to the side ever so slightly allowing their tongues to dance together.  Filling each other.  Hands wandered, and Daryl never took his eyes from hers.  Watching as she trembled when his fingers rubbed over her nipples, rolling them between his fingers.  He bent down to suck the nipple into his mouth, running his tongue over them. First one, then the other.  His eyes back on her as she gasped and cried out.  “I need…” she gasped.  “I need…”

“What do you need?”

“More….”

Daryl picked up the pace, thrusting harder, rolling his hips into her, rocking their bodies in unison.  As her back arched in pleasure, he slid his arms underneath her.  Moving his knees up, he pulled her up onto his lap, so they were both upright.  She wound her arms around his neck, her legs straddling his hips allowing her to move with him, to angle her hips for optimum pleasure.  She ground down onto him as he thrust up into her.  Anchoring himself with one arm behind him, her breasts were now at face level.  Laving his tongue over the nipple of one, as his free hand again over the other.

Keening whimpers, skin dewy with the sweat of their lovemaking.  Bodies rolling together.  Carol dipped her head down, taking Daryl’s mouth once more.  She took his free hand, placing the fingers over her clit and rubbed.  Her head thrown back, unable to contain her cries, he rubbed harder against her clit, drove his cock into her as her hands gripped his shoulders.

“Mm, not gonna last…” he grunted with exertion.  “Almost-- “

Carol’s lips were on his and he felt the undeniable quaking of her body as her orgasm rolled through him.  Several more thrusts, and he followed suit groaning into her mouth.  She wrapped her arms around his necks, rocking her hips against his as they came down, not wanting the pleasure to end despite feeling utterly spent.

He felt her trembling, crossing his legs beneath her, he wrapped his arms around her so she settled further into his lap.  She rested her head against his shoulder, and he heard her sniffle.

“Y’okay?”  

He felt her nod.  “Yes,” she whispered.  After a moment she pulled back, wiping the tears from her eyes.  “Just having a moment.  I’ve never felt so… full.  For so long, I felt like… like cracked glass.  You now?  Not totally broken, but not completely whole either.”

Daryl hummed, knowing the feeling she was talking about very well himself. 

“I don’t feel that way anymore, I don’t feel that way with you.”

“I’m not complete unless I’m with you…” he reached up, and brushed the tears from her cheeks. 

She smiled, and then huffed out a laugh.  “So the end of the world, huh?  Best thing that ever happened to us.”

Daryl kissed her, “Best thing ever, is you.”  He kissed down her neck and across her collar bone.  She hummed, running her hands across the bare of his back.  His head dipped lower, capturing her nipple in his mouth once more.  She groaned, “Careful now, or we’ll be going for round 2.”

“Mmm,” he chuckled.  “Dunno ‘bout you, but…” his dick twitching in his lap, against her folds, “I wasn’t planning on getting much sleep tonight.”

“Oh really?”

“Thinking of throwing your legs over my shoulders, pounding into you until you’re screaming my name.  Or-”

“Or?”  Carol’s eyebrows raised at his unrestrained fervor.

“Or I can make sweet sweet love to you, baby.  You know, all gentle like.  Tease your body to the very edge, pull back, tease some more, and then-”

“Or,” Carol interrupted pushing him back down onto the bed.  Straddling his hips and rubbing her wet folds over his hardening cock once more.  “I could tie your wrists to the bedpost, and ride you until you pop like warm champagne.”

“Oh…. I like the sound of that too.”  He grabbed the back of her shoulders, and rolled her over onto her back.  “Or I could wrap your legs around my waist, slow thrust you until you’re begging for it with my hands rubbing your clit.”

Carol reached down grasping Daryl’s shaft, rubbing him up and down with a firm grip, his eyes nearly going cross-eyed.  “Or, how about we stop talking, and just start fucking.”

“I’m… oh… I’m, I’m strangely okay with that.”

“Good,” she rubbed the head of his cock over her clit several times, lined him up with her entrance, and bucked her hips up toward him driving his cock home. 

  
  


*********

The following morning, Daryl awoke to the sound of movement downstairs.  Carol was asleep beside him, completely cocooned in the blankets.  He slid out from the sheets, pulled on his clothes from the previous day, and stepped lightly down the stairs following the sound of shuffling from the kitchen.

Eric was pulling out pans and dishes, and had ingredients laid out on the counter.  And Aaron was bringing in several boxes and bags of what appeared to be his and Carol’s things.

“What’s goin’ on?” he asked.

“Good morning, Sunshine!” Eric sang, “Thought I’d whip you two up a good breakfast, I’m sure you burned off some calories last night, am I right?”  He winked at Daryl, sending the man’s cheeks ablaze with a blush.

“We took the liberty of getting your things.  We’re moving you guys in, this is your place now.”

Daryl’s brows raised, and he looked around the room, “This is… ours now?  But why?  We were fine with what we had before-”

Aaron shook his head, “You two deserve your privacy.  We have the space, take advantage of it.  If there’s anything that’s missing or that you need, just check in with Olivia, or we’ll get it on our next run.”

“Nothing’s changed,” Eric added.  “You’re still Daryl, she’s still Carol.  Life goes on.”  

“Just… enjoy each other’s company.  There’s no saying if or when our lives will go back to ‘normal’ in this lifetime, this is the new normal.  And you never know what day may be your last, so don’t question it.  Just be with each other.”

“Wow, babe.  Way to kill a mood,” Eric mumbled.

“Nah, I get it,” Daryl added quietly.  They were right.  They needed to enjoy every day like it were their last.  Eric busied himself preparing a tray of food, complete with a small vase with a few wild flowers.  After a few minutes of chit chat, they put the tray in Daryl’s hands and pushed him off to go give Carol breakfast in bed.  There was more than enough for the two of them to eat, and he was famished.

He pushed open the door with his foot and set the tray down on the table by Carol’s side of the bed, and sat down next to her.  “Wake up, sleepy head,” he whispered.  She rolled over with a yawn and a stretch, and smiled up at him.  Even sleep addled with a raging case of bedhead, she was the most beautiful woman in the world to him.

“I haven’t slept that well in… I don’t think I’ve ever slept that well.  Going to be sad to leave this place,” she gave him a small sad smile as she sat up and leaned back against the pillows.

“Ain’t leavin’, this is home now.”  Carol sat up a little straighter, a question on her lips, but Daryl beat her to it.  “Aaron and Eric, they made us breakfast.  They also got all our things, and brought them over.  This is our place now. Just you an’ me.”

Carol huffed a short chuckle, shaking her head as her grinned back at Daryl.  “Just you and me, huh?”

“You’re stuck with me,” Daryl leaned in and gave her a peck on the lips.  

“Something tells me I’ll be okay with that,” she reached her arms around him and pulled him in for a deeper kiss, their breakfast quickly forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! I'm so sorry that this took 9 long months to get to you. This time last year, almost to the day, my baby boy was conceived. It was a long and uncomfortable pregnancy, that ended in April. So needless to say, I've had my hands full with my little nugget! But at nearly 3.5 months old, he's being a little nicer about giving me time to myself, and allowed me to finally (FINALLY!!!!!) give you this final chapter. This was one of my favorite stories to write, and I hope this final chapter did our fair couple justice. I have several other WIP's that I hope to get cracking on, but my latest adventure is in Rickyl. So keep your eyes posted for some new stuff, I promise I'm not posting any new multi-chapter fics until all chapters have been written, because honestly... who likes waiting 9 frickin' months between chapters?!?!?! NOT ME! Thank you all for your comments and kudos, keep them coming, that's what encourages writers to keep on writing. :)

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second fanfic that I have ever written, but my first to post. I merely started this as a drabble for myself, but it exploded into an 11 page document in Word. Wow!! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I have no idea where this story will take us, but as a Caryl shipper it will most likely head in that direction. Constructive criticism is appreciated, negative comments not so much. Hope you enjoyed it!


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